European Union Judicial branch

Judicial branch: Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU; resolve constitutional issues among the EU institutions) - 27 justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 13 justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 27 justices appointed for a six-year term

Definition: This entry contains the name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members.

Source: CIA World Factbook - Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of May 16, 2008