A barrister has won a three-year battle over the right to practise in Luxembourg without speaking the language.


Luxembourg law provides that all lawyers wanting to practise in the country should be able to speak French, German and Luxembourgish and pass a competence test with the Luxembourg Bar Council.



But Graham Wilson, a barrister and partner at Luxembourg firm Ludovissy & Wilson, refused to take the test claiming it was contrary to EU law. The Bar Council of Luxembourg refused to register him as a result.



But this week the European Court of Justice backed Mr Wilson in a ruling that also supports a similar case brought by solicitor Louise Benjamin, an associate with the same firm who was backed by the Law Society.



Desmond Hudson, the Society's chief executive for representation, said: 'This judgement represents a clear victory for the solicitor concerned and also for the considerable number of our members practising in overseas jurisdictions. The Luxembourg authorities introduced a number of requirements which in effect discriminated against European lawyers wishing to practise there.'