In focusing on the independence of judicial power, representatives of Germany and Spain present papers on the judicial power in the constitution, the principle of the separation of powers, and the practical application of the rule of law. Representatives from Portugal, Italy, and Spain discuss the Judicial Service Commission as an institutional guarantee of the impartiality of judges and the independence of justice. Sixteen papers address the current situation, experiences, and difficulties encountered in various central and eastern European countries with regard to the independence of judges; the papers argue for the necessity to create a Judicial Service Commission. A representative from Switzerland discusses how to guarantee the independence of judges in western Europe, followed by a paper by the Spanish representative on models for the management of judicial power. Other topics considered in the remaining presentations are the role of the Judicial Service Commission and/or the Ministry of Justice, judicial administration systems, the role of the national judge in the trial and the application of the European Convention on Human Rights, and the role of the Judicial Service Commission as a guarantor of judicial independence. Appended meeting agenda and a list of participants