Luzius Wildhaber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucius Wildhaber
|
|
|---|---|
Luzius Wildhaber (right) shaking hands with Vladimir Putin
|
|
| Judge of the European Court of Human Rights | |
| In office 1991–1998 |
|
| In office 1998 – 2007 (President of the ECHR) |
|
| Judge in Liechtenstein | |
| In office 1975–1988 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 January 1937 Basel, Switzerland |
| Died | 22 July 2020 |
Luzius Wildhaber was an important judge from Switzerland. He was born in Basel, Switzerland, on January 18, 1937, and passed away on July 22, 2020. He is best known for being the very first president of the European Court of Human Rights in its updated form. This court helps protect human rights for people in many European countries. Thanks to new rules, ordinary citizens could directly ask the court for help if they felt their rights were not respected.
Learning and Career
Luzius Wildhaber studied law at the University of Basel in Switzerland. He also went to Yale Law School in the United States. There, he earned two advanced law degrees in the 1960s.
In 1971, he became a professor of law at the University of Fribourg. From 1975 to 1988, he worked as a judge in Liechtenstein. He also taught about international law and constitutional law at the University of Basel for many years. At the university, he held different important jobs, like professor, dean (a leader of a university department), and rector (the head of the entire university).
In 1991, he was chosen to be a judge at the European Court of Human Rights. He then became the president of this court from November 1, 1998, until January 18, 2007. During his time as president, he oversaw many important cases. One well-known case was the appeal of Abdullah Öcalan. Luzius Wildhaber passed away on July 22, 2020.
Awards and Special Recognition
Luzius Wildhaber received several honors for his work:
- 1999 Marcel Benoist Prize
- 2004 Honorary Doctorate from the University of Neuchâtel
- 2009 Anna Göldi Human Rights Award
