Advocate General
In Simple Terms
A senior legal advisor at the CJEU who provides independent, non-binding legal opinions on cases before the Court issues its judgment.
Formal Legal Definition
A member of the Court of Justice of the European Union appointed under Articles 252-253 TFEU, tasked with delivering reasoned opinions (Opinions of Advocates General) on cases to assist the Court in its deliberations.
Practical Example
Before the CJEU rules on a major data protection case, an Advocate General publishes a detailed opinion analyzing the legal issues. While not binding, CJEU judgments often follow these opinions.
Why It Matters
Advocate General opinions provide deeper legal analysis than judgments and are widely cited by legal practitioners as persuasive authority on EU law interpretation.
Related Terms
How snowLEX helps with Advocate General
snowLEX indexes all Advocate General opinions alongside CJEU judgments, making it easy to compare the AG's reasoning with the Court's final decision.
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