A group of students and teaching staff from the Faculty of Law travelled to Strasbourg, France to visit several European institutions on 6 and 7 October. The aim was to show students how the main European Union and Council of Europe bodies work.

Day one was devoted to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Council of Europe’s judicial body, where participants were offered a first-hand glimpse at the work of this key institution in protecting fundamental rights on the continent. The group was received by one of the Spanish civil servants working at the Count, who provided a detailed explanation of how it works and answered the students’ questions. Attendees also had the opportunity to visit the courtroom where cases are heard.

On the second day, the group was invited by MEP Juan Carlos Girauta to visit the seat of the European Parliament. During the day, participants attended an information session about the Parliament and the structure and competences of the European Union. The session concluded with a debate about Spain’s role in Europe, in which the students played an active role, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities of the European project. Finally, the group had the opportunity to watch a plenary session of the European Parliament from the visitors’ gallery in the chamber.

This activity, five editions of which have already been held, constitutes an invaluable experience that helps Faculty students enhance their legal training with a practical and institutional vision of European law, while encouraging dialogue and critical thinking on the role of institutions in upholding democratic values and rule of law.