Born in Munich in 1963, she studied Russian and French languages and literature, as well as law (including short stays in Strasbourg, Coimbra, Moscow and Florence). She obtained a Master of Arts (Magister Artium) in 1987, the Diploma in Comparative Law from the University of Strasbourg in 1988, and the first State Examination (Erste juristische Staatsprüfung) in Munich in 1989. This was followed by a doctorate in law at the University of Würzburg and the second state examination (Zweite juristische Staatsprüfung) in 1993. She was a freelance researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law in Munich from 1993 to 2001 and legal advisor to the Council of Europe (Directorate General III, Social Cohesion) from 2001 to 2002. She obtained her doctorate in 2002. Since 2002, she has been Professor of Law at theUniversity of Cologne and Director of the Institute for East European Law.
In 2010, she was elected judge of the European Court of Human Rights for Germany. She held this position from 2011 to 2019 (from 2015 to 2017 as President of Section V, from 2017 to 2019 as Vice-President of the Court). In 2019, she was awarded the rank of Officer in the Order of the Legion of Honor.
In 2020, she resumed her duties at the University of Cologne. She was also elected an international judge to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina. She was also appointed a member of the Venice Commission and a member of the Commission de réflexion sur la réforme de la Cour de cassation.
Expertise
- German, European and international protection of human rights
- Comparative constitutional law
- Influence of public international law on the development of law in Central and Eastern Europe
