Professor Sir Elihu Lauterpacht

Professor Sir Elihu Lauterpacht CBE QC LLD, 1928-2017

Sir Elihu Lauterpacht had a distinguished career in international law, combining teaching and practice. He was called to the Bar in 1950 and became a KC in 1970. 

Sir Elihu practiced before the International Court of Justice and other international jurisdictions, as well as before the English courts. He was ad hoc judge in the Bosnia case before the International Court, an arbitrator in NAFTA, ICSID and other arbitrations, the President of the East African Market Tribunal, a member of the Panel of the UN Compensation Commission, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank Administrative Tribunals and of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission.

Sir Elihu's appearances before the International Court of Justice included the Nottebohm case in 1953, the North Sea Continental Shelf cases, the Constitution of the Maritime Safety Committee, the Barcelona Traction case, the Nuclear Tests cases, the Qatar-Bahrain case and the Sipadan and Ligitan case.

In 1953 Sir Elihu became a Fellow of Trinity College, and was Lecturer and Reader in International Law in the University. He was appointed an Honorary Professor of International Law in 1994, and knighted in 1996. 

Sir Elihu left a permanent mark on international law through his work. In 1956 he started the British Practice in International Law and became editor of the International Law Reports in 1960. He inaugurated the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal Reports in 1983 and the ICSID Reports in 1993.

Sir Eli lectured at the Hague Academy of International Law and was a member of the Institut de Droit International. He remained involved in practice, particularly in investment and territorial disputes, as well as in the work of the Centre as its Director Emeritus until his death in February 2017. 

Publications

Sir Eli's published academic works include:

• Jerusalem and the Holy Places (1968)
• The Development of the Law of International Organizations by the Decisions of International Tribunals (1976) 
• Aspects of the Administration of International Justice (1991) 
• International Law: the Collected Papers of Hersch Lauterpacht - (arranged and edited). The fifth and final volume was published in 2004
• The Life of Hersch Lauterpacht - a biography of his father's life (CUP 2010)

 Further Reading

• Sir Elihu Lauterpacht: obituaries and tributes
• Eminent Scholars Archive - Sir Elihu Lauterpacht QC
• Lecture: 'International Law: Recollections and Reflections', 19 October 2012 - Video [637 MB]  Audio [43 MB]
• Eli Lauterpacht Fund
• Sir Elihu Lauterpacht: a celebration of his life and work

 Media

• Sir Elihu Lauterpacht on the Role of the International Judge
• International Law: Recollections and Reflections: Sir Elihu Lauterpacht