The 2024 Reform of the EU Judicial System and the Transformation of the Court of Justice into a Constitutional Court

The 2024 reform of the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union does not entail merely technical adjustments but will bring about groundbreaking consequences for the structure of the EU judicial system. This contribution shows how these procedural amendments can significantly affect the constitutional role of the Court of Justice. While there is no unanimous understanding of the term ‘constitutional court’ in the EU legal order, a broad consensus has emerged as to the core elements of this concept. This article analyses several novelties introduced by the 2024 reform that may pave the way for the Court of Justice’s transformation into a fully-fledged constitutional court. It also situates the 2024 reform within the broader trajectory of EU judicial reforms, showing that it forms part of a decades-long trial-and-error process that is far from concluded. Finally, it offers an outlook on the possible future development of the EU judicial system, emphasising the need for a long-term vision of the Union’s judicial architecture and, in particular, of the respective roles of the Court of Justice and the General Court.