Étienne Cerexhe facts for kids

Étienne Cerexhe (born April 18, 1931 – died June 24, 2020) was an important person from Belgium. He was a judge, which means he helped make decisions in courts. He was also a professor, teaching at universities.

He was a member of the Belgian Senate from 1985 to 1987. Later, he joined the Chamber of Representatives from 1988 to 1991. In 2009, King Albert II of Belgium gave him a special honor, making him a baron.

About Étienne Cerexhe

Étienne Cerexhe was born in Schaerbeek, Belgium, on April 18, 1931. He studied at two famous universities: the Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium and the University of Paris in France.

He also received special honorary degrees from other universities. These included the University of Lisbon, the University of Ouagadougou, and the University of Santiago. His son, Benoît Cerexhe, also became a politician and mayor.

Étienne Cerexhe passed away on June 24, 2020, when he was 89 years old. His funeral was held a few days later in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre.

His Career and Work

Étienne Cerexhe had a long and important career. He worked both as a university professor and as a politician.

Teaching and Academia

In 1967, Étienne Cerexhe helped start the Faculty of Law at the Université de Namur. A Faculty of Law is a department where students learn about laws. He was the dean (the head) of this faculty from 1967 to 1988.

He also taught at the Université catholique de Louvain. In 1974, he helped create another Faculty of Law in Burkina Faso, a country in Africa. Later, in 1984, he helped set up a research center in Brussels called the Centre for European Policy Studies. This center studies policies related to Europe.

Working in Politics

From 1985 to 1987, Étienne Cerexhe served as a senator in the Belgian government. Senators are elected officials who help make laws for the country.

Then, from 1988 to 1991, he was a member of the Chamber of Representatives. He represented the Christian Social Party. During this time, he suggested changes to Belgium's constitution. He wanted to make sure different parts of Belgium worked well together. His ideas helped with big changes to the constitution in 1993.

He also supported the Lomé Convention, which was an agreement to help African countries. He believed it was important to provide humanitarian aid to people in need. He also worked to ensure that all of Belgium's different regions and language groups were treated equally.

Becoming a Judge

In 1993, Étienne Cerexhe became a judge in Belgium's Court of Arbitration. This court is now called the Constitutional Court. This court makes sure that laws follow the country's constitution.

He specialized in different types of law. These included public law (laws about how the government works), European Union law (laws related to the European Union), and civil law (laws about private rights and relationships). He retired in 2001 and was given the title of judge emeritus, which means he kept his title as an honor. He also became an honorary consul for the Wallonia region in Burkina Faso.

Awards and Honors

In 2009, Étienne Cerexhe received a very special honor from King Albert II. He was given the title of baron. This is a high honor in Belgium.

His Published Works

Étienne Cerexhe also wrote books about law and European topics:

• Cerexhe, Étienne, Tourisme et intégration européenne (Tourism and European integration), 1985
• Cerexhe, Étienne, Snyers, Anne-Marie, Le droit européen : les objectifs et les institutions (European law: objectives and institutions), 1989 ISBN: 2803800160