European judges with interests in their own rulings

An investigation has revealed that several judges of the Court of Justice of the European Union participated in judicial decisions while holding financial ties to companies or sectors involved. This raises doubts about impartiality in matters regulating taxes, employment, and public services, eroding trust in a key institution for citizens' rights.

Photorealistic courtroom interior, three judges in black robes seated at a high bench, one judge’s hand resting on a stack of financial documents while another judge reviews a corporate balance sheet on a tablet, gavel mid-air during a ruling, invisible strings attached to the judges’ wrists leading to a shadowy boardroom table with stock certificates and euro bills, cinematic lighting with harsh shadows cast across the chamber, polished wood surfaces reflecting blurred graphs and legal codes, technical illustration style, ultra-detailed textures, dramatic chiaroscuro, no text or numbers visible

Blockchain to audit judicial transparency 🔗

Distributed ledger technology could offer a technical solution to track and make public the financial interests of judges before each ruling. A system based on smart contracts would require declaring holdings in relevant companies or sectors, recording this data immutably. This would not eliminate conflicts, but it would allow citizens and oversight bodies to verify whether a magistrate should have recused themselves, adding a layer of accountability that is currently glaringly absent.

The judge who ruled in favor of their own portfolio 💼

It seems that in Luxembourg they have discovered a new way to invest in the stock market: by being a CJEU judge. If you own shares in a company, you just have to wait for a related case to come up, rule in its favor, and voilà, guaranteed capital gains. The best part is that you don't need to declare it, because transparency is for mere mortals. Perhaps the next training course for judges will include a module on how not to look suspicious while benefiting from your own rulings.