In this context, the Council of Europe is concerned both with strengthening the judiciary in its member States, with the aim of ensuring mutual respect between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, and to give European citizens increased confidence in the justice system. 

It was in the light of these two objectives that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe set up the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) in 2000.

The CCJE, consultative body concerning independence, impartiality and competence of judges, highlights the essential role of the judicial power in a democratic society. The CCJE is the first body in an international organisation composed exclusively of judges and constitutes therefore a unique body at the European level.

Information Leaflet about the CCJE

In accordance with the pilot survey of intergovernmental steering and ad hoc committees (document GT-REF.INST(2009)1 final), CCJE opinions have been useful for the purposes of drafting national regulations and legislation, are often used as tools for the functioning and/or administration of justice and for the organisation of the work of the legal professions and are useful for national professionals and in particular for judges and judicial service commissions, in view of the fact that CCJE opinions contain concrete specifications concerning the implementation of general standards (independence of judges, training of judges, ethics, quality of decisions, etc.).

Framework Global Action Plan for Judges in Europe

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On 20 November 2009, the Fundation Justice in the World (under the patronage of the International Association of Judges) awarded the CCJE with the Prize "Justice in the World" for the excellent quality of its work and the commitment of its members.

Special file

All member States may be represented. Members should be chosen in contact, where such authorities exist, with the national authorities responsible for ensuring the independence and impartiality of judges and with the national administration responsible for managing the judiciary, from among serving judges having a thorough knowledge of questions relating to the functioning of the judicial system combined with utmost personal integrity.

 

Members of the CCJE
 

The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union is also invited to participate in the activities of the CCJE.

 

Composition of the Bureau

Composition of the working groups 

The following States, holding observer status with the Council of Europe, may participate in activities of the CCJE: Holy See, USA, Canada, Japan and Mexico.
 

The following observers to the CCJE may send a representative to attend the CCJE meetings:

- the European Association of Judges (AEM),

- the association "Magistrats européens pour la démocratie et les libertés" (MEDEL)

- the Association of European Administrative Judges,

- the European Grouping of the Magistrates for the Mediation (GEMME),

- the European Judicial Training Network, and

- the European Networks of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ).

The main task of the CCJE is to contribute to implementation of the Framework Global Action Plan for Judges in Europe adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 7 February 2001 to strengthen the role of judges in member States.

 

It has an advisory function on general questions relating to independence, impartiality and competence of judges. This leads it to prepare opinions for the attention of the Committee of Ministers. The CCJE may also receive requests for opinions from other Council of Europe bodies.