Both ACC and ECLA strongly recommend that the European Justice Scoreboard assemble data on the special role of in-house counsel in the justice system
BRUSSELS (15 April 2021) – Last week, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and the European Company Lawyers Association (ECLA) issued a joint response to the 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard consultation.
ACC and ECLA appreciated the opportunity to provide additional perspective to the Scoreboard. With the unique and critical role in-house lawyers play in the justice system, their inclusion is an important step to achieving a more precise picture of the state of the rule of law. The 2021 Scoreboard supports the achievements of the European Semester and the implementation of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility.
“In-house counsel play an important role within the justice system, and operate at the junction of the business and legal realms as ambassadors of the rule of law in their respective companies,” said Veronica Pastor, deputy general counsel of ACC. “The status of in-house counsel as full members of their respective bar is inconsistent from country to country, and therefore their full impact has historically not been fully incorporated. ACC is proud to partner with ECLA in this effort to help ensure the true role in-house counsel play in the justice system is reflected in future Scoreboards.”
Both ACC and ECLA strongly recommend that the European Justice Scoreboard assemble data on the special role of in-house counsel in the justice system, and how the profession contributes to the efficiency, quality, and independence of justice. We propose that questions focus on the following topics:
a) the role of in-house counsel in promoting a culture of compliance within their companies;
b) the role of in-house counsel as officers of the court in the administration of justice, independence of in-house counsel, and their relationship with legal privilege; and
c) the contribution in-house counsel to the efficiency of justice by resolving issues cooperatively and effectively before they reach litigation, thus reducing pressure on the judicial system.
d) Collect data on the number of in-house counsel in each country of the European Union in order to measure capacity to comply and promote the rule of law in the private sector.
The full joint submission on the 2021 Justice Scoreboard can be read here.
About ACC: The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is a global legal association that promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel who work for corporations, associations and other organizations through information, education, networking, and advocacy. With more than 45,000 members in 85 countries employed by over 10,000 organizations, ACC connects its members to the people and resources necessary for both personal and professional growth. By in-house counsel, for in-house counsel.® For more information, visit www.acc.com and follow ACC on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.