Jean-Paul Costa, French jurist and former president of the European Court of Human Rights, died Thursday at the age of 81.
Born in Tunis, Jean-Paul Costa had joined the Council of State upon leaving the National School of Administration (ENA) in 1966. He had also been chief of staff to Alain Savary, Minister of Education national, in 1981.
Judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) from 1998, he then presided over this Strasbourg institution between 2007 and 2011. The Court "
is a bulwark against reason of State
", he assured AFP during an interview in 2011, praising the work carried out by the 700 members of this unique tribunal.
"A Brilliant Judge"
"
Those who had the chance and the honor to know him and to work with him will keep the memory of an exceptional man, of great humanity, of a brilliant judge
", greeted the ECHR on its website.
Jean-Paul Costa had also chaired the René Cassin Foundation-International Institute of Human Rights, between 2012 and 2021.
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“
A great humanist, President Jean-Paul Costa has had a strong impact on our fine institution with his benevolence and his investment in the cause of human rights
,” the foundation said in a press release.
The ecologist mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, hailed “
a great defender of fundamental freedoms
”, who “
marked generations of Strasbourg students and well beyond, since he has traveled to universities all over the world
”.
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