“Judges in Ireland and France: Different Routes to Performing Similar  Functions  in the  EU”

Judge Sylvaine Poillot Peruzzetto: Cour de Cassation

In November 2021, Judge Sylvaine Poillot Peruzzetto, at the invitation of the UCD CCLE,  delivered a stimulating seminar in UCD SSol  which compared the roles of judges in an EU common  law  system (Ireland) with those in an EU civil law system (France). Her aim was to highlight some apparent differences and some common characteristics as the judges function within the EU legal system.

Her talk traced the pathways to becoming a judge in France and in Ireland. It also shone light on how the judges operate or perform within the French and Irish legal architecture and, inter alia, contrasted their respective approaches to crafting judgments. It emphasised their common responsibility in terms of their duties as judges within the EU legal system. Noting their duties in respect of the rule of law (in particular, in relation to fundamental rights) she focussed on the imperative of judicial independence.