Background

At their 842nd meeting, on 5 June 2003, the Ministers' Deputies at the Council of Europe agreed to declare a European Day of Civil Justice, to be held during the last week of October every year. They tasked the Council of Europe's European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) with preparing an organisational charter for the day, outlining its key aspects. The organisational charter was adopted by the CEPEJ and approved by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in February 2004. The day is celebrated as the European Day of Justice and covers both the civil and criminal aspects of justice. It aims to bring justice closer to citizens, inform them of their rights and promote the work of the Council of Europe and the European Commission in this field.

Justice in the European Union framework

Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) identifies the rule of law as one of the legally binding values upon which the EU is founded. It further provides that these values are common to the Member States in a society where justice prevails. According to Article 3 TEU, the EU offers its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers. To promote and protect the rule of law within Member States and in its external relations, the EU has developed a set of instruments and mechanisms known as the rule of law toolbox.

Title VI of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, entitled 'Justice', sets out four justice-related fundamental rights and principles: the right to an effective remedy and a fair trial (Article 47); the right to the presumption of innocence and to defence (Article 48); the principles of legality and proportionality regarding criminal offences and penalties (Article 49); and the right to not be tried or punished twice in criminal proceedings for the same criminal offence (Article 50).The scope of these rights has been developed by a growing body of case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), particularly concerning judicial independence and criminal law. Relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights also informs the interpretation of corresponding Charter rights. The European Court of Human Rights is a Council of Europe body which oversees the application of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The justice-related rights enshrined in the Charter are also protected by EU legislation, including Directive 2026/1472 on the rights of victims of crime; Directive 2016/1919 on legal aid for suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings and for requested persons in European arrest warrant proceedings; and Directive 2016/343 on the presumption of innocence and the right to be present at trial in criminal proceedings.

Previous celebrations

To celebrate the European Day of Justice, events for European citizens, students and justice professionals are organised across Europe every year. For example, as part of the celebrations in 2025, four Belgian high courts opened to the public, and the European Commission held an event examining the role of language in the legal field. Since 2017, European Lawyers Day has been held on 25 October to coincide with the European Day of Justice. It is organised by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) to celebrate the common values of lawyers and their role in the defence and promotion of the rule of law, as well as their contribution to the justice system. The CJEU has also marked the European Day of Justice in previous years. Although the dates of the CJEU's annual open day have varied, in 2024 and 2025 it took place in October, shortly before the European Day of Justice.

European Day of Justice 2026

In view of the European Day of Justice 2026, as seen in previous years, the CCBE is coordinating a European Lawyers' Day on 25 October. The theme this year is 'Security and freedom in uncertain times: lawyers as guardians against abuse of power'. Other themes that may feature in European Day of Justice celebrations include artificial intelligence and the digitalisation of justice, the rule of law and trust in judicial systems, and access to justice and cross-border judicial cooperation. The CJEU's annual open day will take place on 17 October 2026.