Bruno Simma (born March 29, 1941 in
Quierschied
Quierschied is a municipality in the district of Saarbrücken, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approximately 11 km northeast of the city of Saarbrücken.
Notable people
* Bruno Simma (born 29 March 1941), a German jurist who served as ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
), is a German jurist who served as a judge on the
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
from 2003 until 2012.
He currently serves as an affiliated overseas faculty member of the
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MC ...
, teaching classes in
Ann Arbor
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
, and as one of the three third-country arbitrators on the
Iran–United States Claims Tribunal
The Iran–United States Claims Tribunal (IUSCT) is an international arbitral tribunal established by the Algiers Accords, an international agreement between the U.S. and Iran embodied in two Declarations by the Government of the Democratic and ...
, to which he was appointed in 2013.
Career
Positions as a Judge, Arbitrator, and Member of UN Expert Bodies
Simma served as a Judge on the ICJ from February 6, 2003 until his term expired on February 5, 2012; he was not a candidate for re-election. From 1997 to 2003, Simma served as a member of the
UN International Law Commission
The International Law Commission (ILC) is a body of experts responsible for helping develop and codify international law. It is composed of 34 individuals recognized for their expertise and qualifications in international law, who are elected by t ...
. From 1987 to 1996, he served as a member of the UN
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is a United Nations is a 18-member Committee, entrusted with overseeing implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
It meets (usually t ...
.
Simma has acted as an arbitrator in numerous inter-state, foreign investment, international commercial, and sports law cases.
Among them, he serves on the NAFTA Chapter 11 investor-state dispute panel in th
Clayton/Bilcon case in which a U.S. investor sought damages under NAFTA Chapter 11 after Canada and Nova Scotia rejected the investor's project to mine basalt and build a marine terminal on the Digby peninsula in Nova Scotia based on an environmental impact assessment conducted under federal and provincial law. Simma was part of th
controversial majority decisionthat found the Government of Canada liable to the investor. Th
dissentingpanel member warned that in key respects "the decision of the majority will be seen as a remarkable step backwards in environmental protection."
Academic Career and Honors
From 1995 to 1997, Simma served as dean of the
University of Munich Faculty of Law. Prior to returning to his native
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, he served as a lecturer at
The Hague Academy of International Law
The Hague Academy of International Law (french: Académie de droit international de La Haye) is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Courses are taug ...
in the
Netherlands
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
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, where he also served as director of studies in 1976 and 1982, and as visiting professor at the
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MC ...
during 1995. From 1987 to 1992, he served as a Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, and as a visiting professor in 1986. From 1984 to 1985, he served as a visiting professor at the
University of Siena
The University of Siena ( it, Università degli Studi di Siena, abbreviation: UNISI) in Siena, Tuscany, is one of the oldest and first publicly funded universities in Italy. Originally called ''Studium Senese'', the institution was founded in 1240 ...
in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. He served as a lecturer for International Law for the German Federal Foreign Ministry's Training Centre for Junior Diplomats. He is member of the advisory board of the
Goettingen Journal of International Law.
Among his approximately 120 publications, Simma is widely known as the editor of the authoritative ''The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary'' (Oxford U. Press, 1994, 2nd and 3rd editions published in 2002 and 2012), over 2600 pages in its 3rd edition. Simma's treatise is considered "the primary English reference book" on the
UN Charter
The Charter of the United Nations (UN) is the foundational treaty of the UN, an intergovernmental organization. It establishes the purposes, governing structure, and overall framework of the UN system, including its six principal organs: the ...
, in particular for international law questions.
He has received honorary degrees from the Universities of Macerata, Glasgow and Innsbruck.
Notable ICJ Decisions
*
''Jurisdictional Immunities of the State'' (Germany v. Italy)
Other activities
*
, Member of the Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees
.
References
External links
International Court of Justice Biography
Who's Who in Public International Law 2007
Jessup's 50th Anniversary Honorary Committee
and 103rd ASIL Annual Meetin
on International Law as Law, Fairmont Hotel
in Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, 25–28 March 2009
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simma, Bruno
1941 births
Living people
International Court of Justice judges
21st-century German judges
German legal scholars
International law scholars
The Hague Academy of International Law people
Academic staff of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Academic staff of the University of Siena
University of Michigan Law School faculty
International Law Commission officials
People from Saarbrücken (district)
German judges of United Nations courts and tribunals