University of Basel

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Law

Honorary doctorates of the Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law of the University of Basel awards the honorary doctorate in jurisprudence (Dr.h.c. - Doctor honoris causa) to individuals for their outstanding services to jurisprudence.

Honorary doctorates of previous years

Honorary Doctor of the Year 2021: Rosemary Kayess, Australian human rights lawyer,

  • who pioneered the understanding of the rights of persons with disabilities as human rights and significantly advanced their theoretical penetration;
  • who was instrumental in shaping the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
  • who, together with international organizations, governments and civil society, has worked tirelessly to implement the rights of persons with disabilities in everyday life, thereby contributing to the recognition of persons with disabilities as equal members of society.

The Law School awards an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to Bryan A. Stevenson, Prof., Founder and Executive Director oft he Equal Justice Initiative,

  • who has worked tirelessly for decades to combat racial discrimination in the U.S. criminal justice system..;
  • who, through influential publications, has contributed to making these abuses a topic of public attention and discussion;
  • who, as a professor, is helping to sensitize future generations of lawyers to the issue.

The Faculty of Law awards the honorary doctorate to Thomas Stadelmann, lic. iur., Federal Judge,

  • who has worked tirelessly for years for judicial independence, separation of powers and access to justice in European countries where the rule of law is threatened;
  • who critically analyses the situation of the judiciary in Turkey and courageously stands up for persecuted and imprisoned judges, public prosecutors and their relatives;
  • who reflects on questions of judicial organisation and judicial constitutional law from an academic point of view and, as a member of the board of directors of the Swiss Judicial Academy, stands up for a well-founded, theory-based and interdisciplinary training of judges.

The Faculty of Law awards an honorary doctorate to Lukas Bühlmann, lic. iur., Director of the Swiss Association for National Planning, Switzerland. Association for National Planning,

  • who has devoted himself with great dedication to the current challenges of spatial development in Switzerland;
  • who, as a bridge builder between research, teaching and practice, between different scientific disciplines and between the levels of government, pursues innovative approaches to solutions for sustainable settlement development;
  • who actively contributes to the promotion of young talent through his commitment to well-founded education and training in the field of spatial planning.
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