Library & Cultural Services: Law: EU Cases

Key Resources for EU Case-Law

Curia
Curia is the official website of the European Court of Justice. It can be navigated using
a) Numerical access to case-law - a browsable list of all cases, a very straightforward way to find a case, if you know the case number.
b) Search Form - allows searching by case number, case name, keywords in the text and date.

The site also includes a digest which provides summaries which contain the essential points of law laid down in the decision in question.
Eurlex
The European Unions official portal to legal information. The case-law section provides a list of recent cases in each court plus a search engine for finding cases via case number or by year.

Westlaw
Click 'EU' and you can choose to search using terms (keywords), parties or case name, case number, or publication reference.

TIP: Click on 'List of Connectors' to help you search using keywords. This link explains how to use connectors, proximity searching, phrase searching, truncation and wild cards. This can make your search more accurate or if you are not finding any results it helps to widen your search to include less terms or information.
Westlaw International
Lexis Plus
Click on 'Content' and then choose 'Cases'. From Advanced search, you can choose to search by party names, search terms, citation (publication reference), date, judges or counsel.

TIP: Click the search tips to help you search using keywords. This link explains how to use connectors, proximity searching, phrase searching, truncation and wild cards. This can make your search more accurate or if you are not finding any results help to widen your search to include more terms or information.
Alternative Institutional login. Only UK Materials available via this route.

European Union Cases

There are currently two institutions that hear European Union cases: the Court of Justice (also informally known as: the European Court of Justice (ECJ)) and the General Court. The General Court was originally called The Court of First Instance (CFI). Between 2004 and 2016, there was also another specialised court called the Civil Service Tribunal (CST) to deal with cases relating to the staff of EU institutions. The General Court now deals with case involving staff of EU institutions.

Court of Justice of the European Union

(or its official title Court of Justice of the European Communities) was created by the Treaty of Rome, and interprets an applies European Union law as found in the treaties and legislation.

General Court

was created in 1989 to assist with the case load of the ECJ, and principally hears cases dealing with competition law, dumping, subsidies and staff grievances. Decisions of the Court of First Instance can be referred to the European Court of Justice for appeal.