The Europe Chapter
The Europe Chapter of the IARMJ was the first of the regional chapters to be formed, addressing issues of particular concern to its members, including the European Convention on Human Rights, the co-ordination of interests of member states of the European Union, the enactment of the Qualification Directives and the creation of EASO. The Chapter has been at the forefront of the development of refugee and migration law in Europe and works closely with partners such as UNHCR and EASO.
Le chapitre Europe de l'IARMJ a été le premier des chapitres régionaux à être formé, abordant des questions d'intérêt particulier pour ses membres, y compris la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme, la coordination des intérêts des États membres de l'Union européenne, la promulgation des directives de qualification et la création de l'EASO. Le chapitre a été à l'avant-garde du développement du droit des réfugiés et des migrations en Europe et travaille en étroite collaboration avec des partenaires tels que le HCR et l'EASO.
15+ years
of judicial experience
7-year term
UN Dispute Tribunal, elected by the UN General Assembly
President
IARMJ-Europe, elected 2024
PhD
in Refugee Law; 2024 monograph on refugee law
Medal of Honour
Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum, 2022
Greek · English · French
working languages
Chapter President Aikaterini (Catherine) Koutsopoulou
Judge, UN Dispute Tribunal | President, IARMJ-Europe | President, Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens
Aikaterini (Catherine) Koutsopoulou is a Greek Administrative Judge with more than 15 years of judicial experience and extensive international engagement in refugee and migration, administrative and disciplinary law.
JUDICIAL SERVICE
She currently serves as a Judge of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT), following her election by the United Nations General Assembly for a seven-year term. In Greece, she holds the rank of President of the Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens, adjudicating cases in the fields of asylum and migration law, immigration detention and other areas of administrative law. She also holds senior disciplinary responsibilities as President of Disciplinary Boards for Public Servants and President of the Disciplinary Committee of the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF). From 2016 to 2022, in parallel with her judicial duties, she served as a member of an Independent Appeals Committee of the Greek Asylum Appeals Authority, adjudicating international protection cases at second instance.
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Her involvement in the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ) spans a decade of elected leadership. She was first elected to the Board of IARMJ-Europe in 2016, served as Vice-President of IARMJ-Europe from 2018 to 2024, and was elected President of IARMJ-Europe in 2024. In parallel, since 2020, she has been repeatedly elected Vice-President of the IARMJ Global Management Board. Through these successive regional and global responsibilities, she has contributed to judicial dialogue and cooperation across jurisdictions and legal traditions, the exchange of jurisprudence and judicial practice, and the development of the Association’s international and regional activities.
INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP
From 2015 to 2023, she served in successive elected positions within the Association of Greek Administrative Judges as Board Member, Treasurer and Secretary-General, further reflecting her experience in judicial representation and institutional leadership.
TRAINING & EXPERTISE
She has extensive experience as a judicial trainer, speaker and expert at national, European and international level, including activities involving the Hellenic National School of Judges, IARMJ, EUAA, UNHCR, the Council of Europe, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Her principal areas of expertise include judicial review, evidence and credibility assessment, procedural fairness, proportionality, international protection and migration law.
ACADEMIC WORK & DISTINCTIONS
Dr Koutsopoulou holds a PhD in Refugee Law and conducts postdoctoral research in the field of international protection and migration. She is the author of a 2024 monograph on refugee law, as well as publications on citizenship and migration law, and has contributed to several EUAA judicial publications and analyses. In 2022, she received the Medal of Honour of the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum for distinguished judicial service. She works in Greek, English and French