European e-Justice Portal

European judicial training N

Cross-border cooperation (on both civil and criminal cases) has shown that European legal acts and mechanisms could be more effectively implemented for the benefit of citizens and businesses if there was more: understanding and mutual trust between legal practitioners in different EU countries; knowledge of EU legislation and cooperation instruments; and consistent understanding of EU law (to ensure correct application in national cases). European judicial training involves training of legal practitioners in substantive and procedural EU legislation and improving their knowledge and awareness of national judicial systems in other Member States. Priority is given to the judges and prosecutors responsible for enforcing European Union law, but European judicial training is also essential for other legal practitioners, such as court staff, lawyers, solicitors, bailiffs, notaries and mediators. All legal practitioners must become competent in their role in the implementation of the European legislative framework. Mutual trust and understanding are also essential for ensuring a secure legal environment which upholds individuals' and companies' rights in a clear and consistent manner.

European training networks and structures
With the developments in European legislation and greater mobility of European citizens, a clear need has emerged in the past decade for continuous training for legal practitioners at European level. Such training is provided by several European structures established with the support of Member States, and a number of professional organisations, often with supported by European funding.
Training of legal practitioners at national level
There are extensive training arrangements for legal practitioners in the Member States, which bear the main responsibility for the quality and scale of such training. Here we set out information on the organisation of national training in the Member States.
Training material
The European e-Justice Portal is one of the tools contributing to the development of European judicial training. By providing access to information and other educational material, it significantly increases the number of people who can self-train and/or incorporate European legislation into their training sessions.
Good training practices
Trainers will find here factsheets in English describing good practices in training judges and prosecutors, which can also inspire training for other legal practitioners (court staff, lawyers, notaries, bailiffs and mediators). The practices cover a wide range of topics, from training needs assessment to training delivery and evaluation.