The geographical scope of the Circuit is that of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. It thus encompasses a wider Europe than simply that of the European Union. Membership is open to both barristers and solicitors in the geographical area of the Circuit and to lawyers from those jurisdictions. It is open to lawyers in independent practice and employed lawyers, whether employed by governments, institutions or companies.
The membership of the Circuit now includes lawyers from England and Wales and Ireland and from a variety of other jurisdictions within Europe including Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, France and Germany.
The European Circuit aims to hold regular conferences in different jurisdictions dealing with matters of relevance to its members. It also holds an annual conference in cooperation with local bar associations. The most recent of these have been in Brussels, Stockholm and Rome. This year’s will take place in Madrid (23rd and 24th September 2021). If you would like to know more about our past and future events, please check the events and blog sections of our website.
Since the idea of a European Circuit was mooted, the level of interest keeps growing. It appears that the Circuit’s creation has tapped into a need that has long been unfulfilled. Its membership and geographic diversity continues to grow and new expressions of interest are regularly being received. We hope to increase these exchanges even further in the next few years.
The Circuit provides a forum for its members to:
- Seek solutions to common problems in relation to cross-border practice, in line with the various Commission initiatives seeking to set up an area of freedom, security and justice, as well as creating a European Judicial Area.
- Exchange knowledge and experience of European practice and a point of liaison with other jurisdictions where legal practitioners may wish to practise.
- Promote more widely the services of barristers to solicitors, lawyers and other potential clients
If you have any further queries or suggestions and cannot obtain the answers on the circuit website, do not hesitate to contact: [email protected]
