Renate Jaeger
Encyclopedia
Renate Jaeger is a German lawyer and judge of the European Court of Human Rights
. Her term at the Court expired on 30 December 2010.
, a city in the state
of Hesse
, Germany
, and studied Law at Cologne
, Munich and Lausanne
. In 1968, after completing her legal training
, she became a judge at the Sozialgericht of Düsseldorf
in North Rhine-Westphalia
. The Sozialgericht ('social court') is the lowest of three courts dealing with social security
matters, the higher courts being the Landessozialgericht (state level) and national Bundessozialgericht (Federal Social Court of Germany
).
. In 1986, she was promoted to Presiding Judge at the Landessozialgericht, and in 1987 was called to join the Bundessozialgericht.
As well as being a member of the Federal Social Court, Jaeger was appointed in 1988 to sit on the State Constitutional Court of North Rhein-Westphalia. From 1991 to 1994, she took on a lectureship at the University of Münster
. On 24 March 1994, she was appointed a judge of the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
in the First Senate. She was also appointed Liaison Officer between the Court and the Council of Europe
's Venice Commission
.
On 28 April 2004, Jaeger was elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
to be a judge on the European Court of Human Rights
, based in Strasbourg
, France
, with effect from 1 November that year. On 14 October, she received an honorary doctorate by the University of Münster
, and that Autumn was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern und Schulterband). She was succeeded at the Federal Constitutional Court by Reinhard Gaier. On 2 July 2009, she was elected Vice-President of one of the Court's Sections. Her term at the Court ended on 30 December 2010, and she was succeeded by Angelika Nussberger
.
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
. Her term at the Court expired on 30 December 2010.
Early life
Jaeger was born in DarmstadtDarmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, a city in the state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, 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...
, and studied Law at Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
, Munich and Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
. In 1968, after completing her legal training
Staatsexamen
The ' is a German government licensing examination that future doctors, teachers, pharmacists, food chemists and jurists have to pass to be allowed to work in their profession. The examination is generally organized by government examination agencies which are under the authority of the...
, she became a judge at the Sozialgericht of Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. The Sozialgericht ('social court') is the lowest of three courts dealing with social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
matters, the higher courts being the Landessozialgericht (state level) and national Bundessozialgericht (Federal Social Court of Germany
Federal Social Court of Germany
The Federal Social Court is the German federal court of appeals for social security cases, mainly cases concerning the public health insurance, long-term care insurance, pension insurance and occupational accident insurance schemes. Trial courts for these cases are the Sozialgerichte...
).
Judicial career
Between 1970 and 1971, Jaeger was seconded as a research assistant to the Bundessozialgericht, and in 1974 was promoted to sit on the Landessozialgericht for North Rhine-Westphalia, remaining there until 1987. From 1976 to 1979, she was again seconded as a research assistant, this time to the Bundesverfassungsgericht, the Federal Constitutional Court of GermanyFederal Constitutional Court of Germany
The Federal Constitutional Court is a special court established by the Grundgesetz, the German basic law...
. In 1986, she was promoted to Presiding Judge at the Landessozialgericht, and in 1987 was called to join the Bundessozialgericht.
As well as being a member of the Federal Social Court, Jaeger was appointed in 1988 to sit on the State Constitutional Court of North Rhein-Westphalia. From 1991 to 1994, she took on a lectureship at the University of Münster
University of Münster
The University of Münster is a public university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The WWU is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities...
. On 24 March 1994, she was appointed a judge of the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
The Federal Constitutional Court is a special court established by the Grundgesetz, the German basic law...
in the First Senate. She was also appointed Liaison Officer between the Court and 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...
's Venice Commission
Venice Commission
The Venice Commission is an advisory body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law. It was created in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin wall, at a time of urgent need for constitutional assistance in Central and Eastern Europe...
.
On 28 April 2004, Jaeger was elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
to be a judge on the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, based in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with effect from 1 November that year. On 14 October, she received an honorary doctorate by the University of Münster
University of Münster
The University of Münster is a public university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The WWU is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities...
, and that Autumn was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern und Schulterband). She was succeeded at the Federal Constitutional Court by Reinhard Gaier. On 2 July 2009, she was elected Vice-President of one of the Court's Sections. Her term at the Court ended on 30 December 2010, and she was succeeded by Angelika Nussberger
Angelika Nussberger
Angelika Helene Anna Nußberger is a German jurist and scholar of Slavonics, and has been the judge representing Germany at the European Court of Human Rights since 1 January 2011...
.