It was Nina Vajić’s commitment to human rights that brought the former professor of Public International Law and enthusiast of foreign languages, to the Council of Europe: first as a member of European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, then for many years (1998-2012) as Judge to the European Court of Human Rights.
Her legal and judicial engagement and her deep devotion to the Organisation have encompassed roles in the HELP programme, the Advisory Panel of Experts on Candidates for Election, as Judge to the European Court of Human Rights and as Chair of the Administrative Tribunal of the Council of Europe. Her extensive and continuous work for the rule of law and the protection and further realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms are especially noteworthy.
Many years ago, as a young assistant and student in Geneva, Ms. Vajić came to Strasbourg to visit the Court, as part of her human rights class. In spite of the memories of the impressive public hearing in the old building of the Court and her huge interest in the matter, she vividly remembers giggling with her colleagues and not always being the most attentive! The idea of possibly becoming a judge at the European Court of Human Rights never crossed her mind, especially as at that time Croatia was not a State nor a member of the Council of Europe. Consequentially, as a judge, she often had to suppress smiling when students were visiting the Court, and would chat or laugh during public hearings. How many future judges would be among them?
The project “75 women in 75 years of Council of Europe history” is organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe with the Council of Europe and the Permanent Representations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
