B i o g r a p h y

Professor Elias Krispis,
Professor Emeritus at Law School of University of Athens
Honorary Legal Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Vice-President of the Professor Elias Krispis and Dr.Samara-Krispi Foundation for International Legal Studies

Ι.- Professor Elias Krispis, founder of the Foundation for International Legal Studies was born in Chalkida, and passed away in Athens, on August 26, 2012.

He obtained his Degree in Law from Athens University (1940) and he started working as Attorney-at-Law in Athens (1941), at the Law Firm of Prof. Christos Pratsikas, Georgios Mavros (the politician) and Themistoklis Makris (7, Kriezotou Str., Athens).

He established a Law Tutorial School (71, Solonos street, Athens), which was operating from 1941 to 1948.

Post-graduate studies at the University of London (1948-1950), in Public and Private International Law.

PhD from the Law School of Athens University in Private International Law (1950).

Assistant Professor of Private International Law (1961). Professor at the same chair, as of 1964.

Visiting Professor of Public and Private International Law in many universities, in Greece and abroad.

Elias Krispis was appointed, ex officio, by the Law School and the University Senate, Director of the Legal Studies Institute (Nomiko SPoudastirio) of Athens University (1955) and as Legal Advisor of the Athens University (1982). He also served as a Dean of the Law School of Athens University.

In addition, he taught at the International Law Academy of Hague (courses under the title: “Money, according to Private International Law”). On this subject, he published the well known textbook: “The Monetary Debt”.

In Athens, he taught for many years on the subject of “Introduction to International Law” at the School of Aviation Warfare, at the Naval War College and the Higher Education Centre for Gendarmerie Officers. He also taught at the Centre of Maritime Studies, in Piraeus and he lectured at the National Defence College, the Army Cadet Academy, the Financial Services Organisation and the Labour Officers Education School, of the General Confederation of Greek Workers.

The late Professor Elias Krispis, has been a member of the Athens Bar Association as of 1941 and he worked as Legal Advisor in many legal entities.

He was also the Director of the legal magazine “Themis” (1953-1955).

Honorary Legal Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from 1964 until his death, 26.8.203), with an intense diplomatic activity and Legal Adviser of the Hellenic Aviation Industry (1978), the PPC, the Swedish multi-national company SKF-HELAS and other companies and of the Hellenic Red Cross, which he represented in international conferences.

He has been awarded by the Greek State with the medal of the Commander of the Phoenix, in recognition of the long representation of Greece in a number of international organizations (notably the UN) and in international meetings, e.g. for the Cyprus Issue (United Nations and Switzerland).

He has also been, for many years, member of Hellenic and foreign scientific associations, like the Academy of Political Sciences, New York, the International Law Association, etc.

His has written more than 25 books and numerous special studies. A honorary edition was published in 1996, edited by Professor Spyros Vrellis, under the title: “Offer to Elias Krispis”, which includes 26 original essays. This same was reissued in February 2013, under the sponsorship of the Professor Elias Krispis Foundation, containing the welcome messages, as well as the speeches made during the celebratory event on January 22, 1996, when the original edition was delivered to the guest of honor, Prof. Elias Krispis, with the opportunity of his retirement from the Athens University. The reissued volume has 46 topics and is entitled: “OFFER-HONOUR TO ELIAS KRISPIS”.

In 1999 he established the Foundation for International Legal Studies which in its 14 years of operation, has shown an intense and interesting legal activity.

II. Elias Krispis’ contribution to the field of diplomacy

The active contribution and work of Prof. Elias Krispis to the field of Diplomacy, was enormous.

In his capacity, as a Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as Professor of International Law, he represented Greece in numerous cases before international organisations, United Nations, NATO and other international fora in general.
He has frequently participated in the General Assembly of the United Nations (in at least 18 sessions), as a member of the Greek Delegation and he was a regular member at the Sixth General Assembly of the United Nations, of the “Legal Committee”. During the discussion of the Cyprus Issue, he participated, together with the Greek Delegation, in the works of the First Committee, the “Political Committee”.

Regarding the Cyprus Issue in particular, he has been a close adviser of Georgios Mavros (deputy prime minister and head of the Greek Delegation to the Conferences for the Cyprus Issue, in Geneva and Berne, 1974), as well as of Evangelos Averof-Tositsas. He participated in all Conferences concerning the Cyprus Issue and in the Security Council meetings of the United Nations, whenever the Cyprus Issue was discussed. In 1964, based on the legal recommendation of professor Elias Krispis, the Security Council prohibited Turkey to take any action against Cyprus. The same decision approved the dispatching of a peacemaking force of the United Nations to Cyprus and Elias Krispis was appointed as a “mediator” for the Cyprus Issue. “This can be considered as an achievement, because the Cyprus Issue came out of the framework of the Zurich treaties and entered in the jurisdiction of the UN” (Giannis Katris, p. 193).

Professor Elias Krispis has also regularly participated for many years in meetings of international organisations, on legal issues, i.e. UNCITRAL (UN Commission on International Trade Law – he was a regular member for 5 years), UNIDROIT (International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, Rome), the Hague Conference for Private International Law, the Institute of International Humanitarian Law in San Remo (Italy) and in Ottawa (Canada), as a representative of the Hellenic Red Cross.

Elias Krispis' most important missions in particular were the following:

• In 1976, as an Attorney for Greece before the Hague International Court, in a case involving Turkey.
• In 1958, in Geneva, at the Conference on the Law of the Sea, when he was elected as vice-president (until 1982).
• In Stockholm, when the World Intellectual Property Organisation was founded.
• In Bucharest, concerning the International Commercial Agency Treaty.
• In Hague, for the Convention on International Adoption.
• In Washington, for the Convention on International Testament.
• In New York, for the Convention on Limitation Period for Civil Claims.
• In Vienna, for the Convention on the Sale of Tangible Movable Goods.
• In Ottawa, Canada, for the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Anti-personnel Mines.
• In three sessions of The Special Hague Conference, which drafted the Treaty for the Law of Minors.
• In the Special Committee, for two years, for the drafting of the Charter of the Hague International Criminal Court.
  
  

ΙΙΙ.- Ministries:

In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he served as a Legal Advisor, until the end of his life, he offered his services to other Ministries as well, i.e.:

• Member of the Citizenship Council / Interior Ministry
• Member of the Personnel Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which has also disciplinary powers.
• Member of the Personnel Board of the Ministry of Finance.
  
  

IV.- Textbooks – Studies:

Elias Krispis has written a large number of textbooks, studies, monographs and other books on various aspects of law. The most important are mentioned below:

• The crime locus under international law
• Legal entities and in particular corporations under private international law
• The legal regime for merchant vessels at ports and territorial waters in peace time
• The Law applicable to Muslim Greek citizens and in particular in the Dodecanese
• Lectures on Roman Law (University lectures)
• Domestic International Jurisdiction
• The United Nations International Court
• The formal of legal transaction under private international law
• The Geneva International Treaty of 1958 on Fishing and Conservation of the Biological Resources of the Free Sea
• Monetary Debt under private international law (also in English)
• The requesting order (commission rogatoire) to a Foreign Court
• History of the establishment of the United Nations and observations/views concerning the Charter and its activity
• New trends in private international law
• The (legal concept of) virtuality (ikonikotis) under private international law
• Private International Law. General Part
• Private International Law. Special Part
• General principles of international criminal law
• Issues arising out of the theory of private international law and its relation to public international law
• Legal views on the Annan Plan (Cyprus)
• Thoughts on the concept of Custom (Honorary Edition for M. Stathopoulos)
• Study in the Honorary Edition for I. Voulgaris (International Treaty for the Law of Sea)
• Contribution in the Honorary Edition for Spyridon Vrellis (shortly before his death)
• International Convention for the Law of Sea (1982). Preamble, territorial and contiguous zones
• The activity of Eleftherios Venizelos during the Peace Conference of Paris and the Treaties of Sevres and Lausanne.
• Council of Hellenes Abroad. Article 108 of the Constitution and Law 3480/2006.
• Asylum. International Law and National Laws
• The International Criminal Court
• The role of History in Diplomacy
• The development of international criminal law
• Other publications on International Law