The Court of Justice in the Novel System for the Protection of Fundamental Rights in the EU

26 Pages Posted: 20 Mar 2012 Last revised: 23 Jul 2012

See all articles by Elise Muir

Elise Muir

KU Leuven, Department for International and European Law

Date Written: March 19, 2012

Abstract

In the past decades, the system for the protection of fundamental rights in the European Union has undergone three important changes: a stronger ‘constitutional’ mandate for the EU in this field, a formalization of the rights to be protected and a politicization of the fundamental rights debate at EU level. This paper argues that these changes are likely to make the Court of Justice of the European Union particularly vulnerable to claims of judicial activism. The Court indeed now operates with an enhanced mandate in an increasingly complex inter‐institutional setting. Its actions will be scrutinized in the light of that of other European fundamental rights institutions each entrusted with fundamental rights issues; such institutions do not only involve domestic constitutional courts and the European Court for Human Rights but also EU political institutions now increasingly active in shaping EU fundamental rights policy.

Keywords: Court of Justice of the European Union, Fundamental Rights, Judicial Activism, Politicization, Formalization

Suggested Citation

Muir, Elise, The Court of Justice in the Novel System for the Protection of Fundamental Rights in the EU (March 19, 2012). Maastricht Faculty of Law Working Paper, 2012-5, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2025883 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2025883

Elise Muir (Contact Author)

KU Leuven, Department for International and European Law ( email )

Oude Markt 13
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant 3000
Belgium

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.law.kuleuven.be/eur/en

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