issued by the Registrar of the Court
ECHR 113 (2020)
20.04.2020

Robert Spano, Judge in respect of Iceland, today elected
President of the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights has today elected Robert Spano (Iceland) as its new President.
He will take office on 18th May 2020.
Robert Spano succeeds Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos (Greece).
Judges’ CVs
Judge Robert Spano
Born on 27 August 1972, in Reykjavik, Iceland
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

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The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe Member
States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.

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