EC Law

EC LAW ASSIGNMENT

Gary Slapper states ¡°that ever since the UK joined the European Community it has progressively, but effectively passed the the power to create laws which have effect in this country to the wider European institutions such¡±(Slapper`99 P.33) So in all practical terms the UK`s legislative, executive and judiciary¡¯s powers are in the main controlled by and operated within the framework of the European community laws. The increasing importance of Uk judges to consider the issues and principles of EC Law is clearly evident now as regards such issues as human rights and employment rights. National Judges must consider the practical realities that they must abide by EC rules regarding four areas of 1. Direct Applicability,2.Direct Effect and that3.EC Law following the case of Costa v Enel (1964) prevails over the national laws of each member state. Lastly 4. that in coming to a decision the National judge has the option to request a preliminary hearing under Art.177 from the European judiciary on a national legal dispute. It is these four areas that must be looked at in by the national judge when they are considering a case.

With the fact that regulations are directly applicable under Art.189EC to all member states and that the UK has adopted the Monist stance (i.e. Community Law automatically becomes UK law) then judges have little option in some areas of law, but to follow Ec laws/Treaties. This comes via the European Communities Act 1972(S.2) and is affirmed in Ec case law 34/73 Variola 1973.National judges must also consider that Ec directives are part of domestic law and thus have legal existence even before their confirmation into national law.

National judges must also consider that Ec Law regarding matters that come before the domestic courts is also Directly Effective (involving treaties) and it enforces rights and duties for Ec nationals, which can be enforced in domestic courts. This was established in the landmark case of Van Gend en Loos 1963.The National judge ¡°has to apply community law in the absence or in place of national law then a provision of such community law must to all intents and purposes be unconditional, clear and precise to form part of Uk law¡±. Kaczorowaska`98 P275 .The National judge has the ability to use discretion in the form and implementation procedure. Indeed with the concept of indirect horizontal direct then domestic judges are required to interpret their law in line with that of the community which basically emphasises the supremacy of Ec law as seen in Von Colson and Kaman 1984.