Elihu Lauterpacht

Sir Elihu Lauterpacht CBE QC (b. 13 July 1928) is a British academic and lawyer, specializing in the international law, a founder of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at the Law Faculty of Cambridge University.

Biography

Lauterpacht was born on 13 July 1928 in Cricklewood, London, to Rachel and Hersch Lauterpacht. As the Second World War broke out, Professor Hersch Lauterpacht was invited by the Carnegie Endowment to take a visiting professorship in the United States, so the Lauterpracht family evacuated to Americacite web|url=http://www.squire.law.cam.ac.uk/eminent_scholars/professor_sir_elihu_lauterpacht.php|title= Eminent Scholars Archive: Professor Sir Elihu Lauterpacht|publisher=Squire Law Library|accessdate=2008-09-28]

For a year Lauterpacht attended the private Horace Mann School in the Bronx before joining the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. After graduating in June 1944 Lauterpacht returned to the United Kingdom.

After returning to England Lauterpacht entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1945, initially reading history, before switching to the law tripos. In 1950 he was called to the Bar from Gray's Inn.cite web|url=http://www.lcil.cam.ac.uk/about_the_centre/past_directors.php|title=Past Directors|publisher=Lauterpacht Centre|accessdate=2008-09-28] In 1953 he became a Fellow of Trinity College. In 1970 he became a QC. [LondonGazette|issue=45074|supp=yes|startpage=3875|date=7 April 1970|accessdate=2008-09-30] From 1975 to 1977 Lauterpacht served as legal advisor to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs.

Lauterpracht has been also active academic at Cambridge University, where he was a Lecturer, and a Reader. In 1983 the Research Centre for International Law was founded by Lauterpacht at Cambridge, and he was its director until 1995.

After retirement, he continued to teach and giving courses at the London School of Economics (in 1995) and the Hague Academy of International Law (1996).

International Court of Justice

During his career Elihu Lauterpacht appeared before the International Court of Justice in various cases — including:
*Liechtenstein v. Guatemala (the Nottebohm case)
*the North Sea Continental Shelf cases,
*Belgium v. Spain (Barcelona Traction case),
*Australia v. France (the Nuclear Tests case),
*Pakistan v. India (Atlantique Incident case),
*El Salvador v. Honduras,
*Botswana v. Namibia (Kasikili case)
*Mexico v. US (the Avena case)
*Qatar v. Bahrain case
*Malaysia v. Indonesia (a territorial dispute over Sipadan and Ligitan islands).

Honours

*1989, appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours. [LondonGazette|issue=51578|supp=yes|startpage=7|endpage=8|date=30 December 1988|accessdate=2008-09-30]
*1994, appointed an Honorary Professor of International Law at Cambridge University.
*1997, the Research Centre for International Law at was renamed to Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law in honour of both Sir Elihu Lauterpacht and his father Sir Hersch Leuterpacht to mark their contribution to the research of international law at the University of Cambridge.cite web|url=http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/centres/|title=The Lauterpacht Centre for International Law|publisher=Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge|accessdate=2008-09-28]
*1998, knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours. ["London Gazette": [http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewGazetteDocument.aspx?src=search&atdocid=108681&pg=1&GeoType=London&st=adv&sb=issue&issue=55610&exact=lauterpacht no. 55610 (notice view only)] , 14 September 1999. Retrieved on 2008-09-30.]

References