Advocates General

The position of Advocate General is well established in the French and Dutch legal systems where higher courts are assisted by these independent legal officers. Advocates General also part of the European Court of Justice ('ECJ'), where there are 8 of them. They are full members of the court but they are not judges and they do not take part in the court's deliberations. It is the role of the Advocates General to propose to the Court, in complete independence, a legal solution to the cases for which they are responsible. The Advocate General’s Opinion, although often in fact followed, is not binding on the Court.