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european chapter

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.

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Chapter Constitution
Catherine Koutsopoulu

Chapter President Catherine Koutsopoulou

Judge Aikaterini Koutsopoulou has served as an Administrative Judge since 2010 and currently holds the rank of President at the Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens. She has adjudicated a broad range of administrative disputes, with a primary focus on asylum and migration. For six years, she concurrently served on the Appeals Authority, adjudicating international protection cases, and received the Medal of Honour for distinguished judicial service from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum. She also chairs national disciplinary boards, ensuring accountability and ethics in public service.

Her recognised expertise has led to close cooperation with the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), UNHCR, the Council of Europe, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). She has designed and delivered judicial training for the Hellenic National School of Judges, the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN), and internationally for the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ). As elected President of IARMJ-Europe and Vice-President (Global), she collaborates with more than 700 judges worldwide, fostering judicial dialogue across legal traditions.

In November 2025, she was elected by the United Nations General Assembly as a part-time Judge of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT). Her term will commence in July 2026.
Judge Koutsopoulou holds a PhD in Refugee Law, conducts postdoctoral research on asylum and migration policy (externalisation of procedures) and speaks Greek, English and French.