Bo Vesterdorf
Encyclopedia
Bo Vesterdorf, is a Danish judge who has been President of the European Court of First Instance
.
Vesterdorf began his career as a lawyer
-linguist at the European Court of Justice
before becoming Administrator in the Danish Ministry of Justice, examining magistrate
, and Legal Attaché in the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the European Communities
.
He was a Temporary Judge at the Østre Landsret (Danish Court of Appeal), Head of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Division in the Ministry of Justice, Director of the Administration Department in the Ministry of Justice, and a university lecturer. He also served as a member of the Steering Committee on Human Rights at the Council of Europe
, and subsequently as a member of its Bureau. In 2004 he became a member of the "Ad-hoc committee on judicial training" at the Academy of European Law
, Trier
, Germany
. He was a judge at the European Court of First Instance from 25 September 1989 and its president from 4 March 1998 to 17 September 2007.
Vesterdorf has been Commander 1st Degree of the Danish Royal Order of the Dannebrog
since 20 June 2006. On 1 November 2007 he was appointed Senior Legal Consultant at Plesner Law Firm in Copenhagen
. He is an external fellow at University College London
's Faculty of Law and is attached to St Gallen University, Switzerland
and Fordham Law School, New York
. In May 2008 he was made Doctor of Laws honoris causa by St Gallen University.
Court of First Instance
The General Court is a jurisdictional instance of the Court of Justice of the European Union. From its inception on 1 January 1989 to 30 November 2009, it was known as the Court of First Instance .-Competence:...
.
Vesterdorf began his career as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
-linguist at the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
before becoming Administrator in the Danish Ministry of Justice, examining magistrate
Examining magistrate
In an inquisitorial system of law the examining magistrate or investigating magistrate is a judge who carries out investigations into cases and arranges prosecutions....
, and Legal Attaché in the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the European Communities
European Communities
The European Communities were three international organisations that were governed by the same set of institutions...
.
He was a Temporary Judge at the Østre Landsret (Danish Court of Appeal), Head of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Division in the Ministry of Justice, Director of the Administration Department in the Ministry of Justice, and a university lecturer. He also served as a member of the Steering Committee on Human Rights at the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
, and subsequently as a member of its Bureau. In 2004 he became a member of the "Ad-hoc committee on judicial training" at the Academy of European Law
Academy of European Law
The Academy of European Law is an international centre for training and debate for lawyers...
, Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was a judge at the European Court of First Instance from 25 September 1989 and its president from 4 March 1998 to 17 September 2007.
Vesterdorf has been Commander 1st Degree of the Danish Royal Order of the Dannebrog
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
since 20 June 2006. On 1 November 2007 he was appointed Senior Legal Consultant at Plesner Law Firm in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. He is an external fellow at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
's Faculty of Law and is attached to St Gallen University, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Fordham Law School, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In May 2008 he was made Doctor of Laws honoris causa by St Gallen University.