Jörgen Hettne explains that the General Court is part of the same institution as the EU Court of Justice and situated in the same building in Luxemburg. It was created in 1988 to be a first instance in the EU judicial system and most of its judgments can be appealed to the Court of Justice. It was initially specialised in competition law, state aid law and staff cases. Today, however, its competence is much more general including trademark cases, various trade related issues, such as custom duties (tariffs), dumping, economic sanctions and cases concerning the new digital legislation, like the Digital Market Act and Digital Services Act. The General Court has also been empowered to give preliminary rulings on request from national courts in some areas. And, to mention a case which recently attracted attention, it was the General Court who blamed the Commission for not divulging the lost text message from Ursula von der Leyen to the CEO of Pfizer, concerning Covid-19 vaccine. All these issues relate to my research profile and I’m enthusiastic about the opportunity to apply these EU rules in practice.
You have previously worked at the EU General Court, what did you do then, and what are your expectations when you return as judge?
“Back in the 1990s, I served for over six years under the Swedish judge at the General Court. My responsibilities included preparing cases, participating in oral hearings, and drafting judgments. I was 28 years when I started and had to rapidly adapt to the French working language. It was hard in the beginning but extremely stimulating. I will now return to the same working environment but in a different capacity and much older. I will have a cabinet with lawyers who prepare cases and draft judgment for me. I also return to a much larger institution,” says Jörgen Hettne.
There definitely are some major changes to the institution Jörgen returns to. 30 years ago there were 15 judges compared to the 54 (two per member state) of today. The whole institution now employs around 2400 people and Jörgen descibes it as a fort-like labyrinth where it can be difficult to even find your office.
“I anticipate hard work once again, but I am eager to contribute to the development of Union law,” he says.
Besides teaching and researching Jörgen has also been practicing law. As a professor of law, he believes it is important to contribute to society whenever possible and when time permits. His recent participation in court proceedings have been motivated by his prior research regarding the digital gambling market where he realised that it is influenced by aggressive profit maximization and weak consumer protection, particularly for individuals struggling with gambling addiction.
“I believe that my efforts have made a difference and led to increased activity from the government and relevant authorities in addressing this unacceptable situation. That's why media involvement has been almost as crucial as legal work in the overall strategy. I’m still waiting for the final verdict from the Supreme court in one of my cases, which may have a very big impact. But regardless of the outcome, the problems of gambling have been highlighted and widely discussed. I have also gained valuable experience from this work, which I believe will be useful in my new role as an EU judge,” says Jörgen Hettne.
Who is Jörgen outside office hours?
“I think I can be rather short in that regard. My free time has to a large extent been devoted to research and practical legal work over the past few years, which I must admit also aligns with my personal interests. But I enjoy spending time with my family, including our four cats, at the farm on the countryside where I live. This farm will always be central to my life, even when I move to Luxemburg. I’m not permanently leaving Sweden and Lund; I plan to return after my 6-year appointment. See you then!” Jörgen Hettne concludes.