PhD student: Mrs E.E. Jackson

Promotors: E. Mak, M.A. Simon Thomas

Duration: 1/3/2017 - 28/2/2021

Abstract:

This research project is part of the Old, New, Borrowed and Blue NWO Vidi research project concerning judicial cultures in the EU supervised by prof. dr. Elaine Mak. This research connects with the institutional perspective, which examines the way in which the structures of organization of judges as well as legal processes, affect the judiciary as a social institution. In particular, it is concerned with the how trust is built through dialogues between judges from different Member States (horizontal dialogues) as well as between judges and political actors from different Member States and EU courts (vertical dialogues). Theoretically, the analysis focuses on what trust building can contribute to judicial culture. The research takes a socio-legal approach, using empirical research methods to give an inside view of the work and decision-making of judges of four prominent judicial networks in Europe. Furthermore, it explores examples of trust through an analysis of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).