New President of the European Court of Human Rights!
Mr Robert Spano, an Icelander judge of the European Court of Human Rights, was elected President of the European Court of Human Rights on April 20, 2020 and will take office on May 18, 2020, succeeding Greek Judge Mr Linos – Alexandros Sicilianos.
Mr Robert Spano is 48 years old and was born on 27 August 1972, in Reykjavik, Iceland. He has an extremely important presence in the field of human rights, and also a great career in the academic and scientific field, in the field of application of individual rights, in international institutions, in writing activity and in the law.
The new President of the ECtHR is married and has four children. He speaks five languages, English, French, Italian and Danish, along with his native Icelandic. Before becoming a judge, he was a bowling athlete with great success and he had an excellent performance in singing, winning various awards!
Echrcaselaw.com wishes him GOOD LUCK in his new role!
The CV of the new president (as the Court quotes it):
Cand. jur. degree in Law (combined BA and Masters Degrees), Faculty of Law, University of Iceland
1997
Mag. jur. degree in European and Comparative Law, University of Oxford (University College) 2000,
Clifford Chance Prize (proxime accessit), Civil Procedure Prize
Deputy District Court Judge, 1997-1998
Legal Adviser to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, 1998-2001
Adjunct Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Iceland, 2000-2002
Assistant Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Iceland, 2002-2004
District Court Judge, 2004
Deputy to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, 2001-2004
Member of the Board, Human Rights Institute, University of Iceland, 2005-2013
Chairman of the Standing Committee of Experts on Criminal Law, Ministry of Justice, 2003-2008 and 2011-2013
Associate Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Iceland, (tenure) 2004-2006
Editor of the Law Review, Lawyers’ Association of Iceland, 2005-2013
Professor of Public Law, Criminal Procedure and Jurisprudence, Faculty of Law, University of Iceland, (tenure) 2006
Chairman of a Commission of Experts appointed by the Prime Minister of Iceland to investigate human rights abuses from 1947-1992 in child care institutions run by the state and municipal governments, 2007-2012
Chairman of a Commission of Experts elected by the Assembly of the National Church of Iceland to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by the former Bishop of Iceland, 2010-2011
Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Iceland, 2007-2010
Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Iceland, 2010-2013
Member of the Judicial Supervisory Board, 2011-2013
Independent Expert to the Lanzarote Committee of the Council of Europe, 2012
Icelandic Member of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDCP), 2012-2013
Ad hoc Judge, EFTA Court, 2012-2013
Parliamentary Ombudsman of Iceland (provisional appointment and ad hoc), 2009-2013
Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 1 November 2013
President of Section from 1 May 2017 to 30 April 2019
Vice-President of the Court since 5 May 2019
