Alexandra 'Sacha' Prechal (born 15 March 1959) is a Dutch law professor and judge. From 2010 to 2024 she was a judge at the European Court of Justice. She previously worked as professor of European Law at Tilburg University and Utrecht University.
Sacha Prechal | |
|---|---|
 Prechal (2008) | |
| Judge of the European Court of Justice | |
| In office 10 June 2010 – 7 October 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Christiaan Timmermans |
| Succeeded by | Ben Smulders |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexandra Prechal 15 March 1959 Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Spouse | Alex Brenninkmeijer (died 2022) |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Groningen (LLM) University of Amsterdam (PhD) |
| Thesis | Directives in European community law: A study on EC directives and their enforcement by National Courts (1995) |
| Doctoral advisor | Richard Lauwaars |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | European Union law |
| Institutions | Tilburg University Utrecht University |
Early life and career
editPrechal was born on 15 March 1959 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.[1] Her father worked as cellist for the Frysk Orkest in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, since 1967. At the time of the Prague Spring in 1968 Prechal and her mother were visiting her father on holidays and they remained in the Netherlands.[2][3] Growning up Prechal was interested in pursuing a career with languages and was interested in becoming an interpreter. She was advised to go obtain a degree in law as interpreters mostly worked for the European Community.[3]
Prechal studied law at the University of Groningen between 1977 and 1983 and received her title of Doctor of Laws at the University of Amsterdam in 1995. After receiving her initial law degree she started working as an academic lecturer of Law at Maastricht University until 1987.[1] She then worked as a legal secretary/cabinet officer for the Dutch judges at the Court of Justice of the European Communities between 1987 and 1991.[1][3] Prechal subsequently returned to the Netherlands to work as an academic lecturer at the Europe Institute of the Law faculty of the University of Amsterdam.[4] In 1995 she obtained her promotion under Richard Lauwaars at the same university with a thesis titled: Directives in European Community Law. A Study on Directives and their Enforcement by National Courts.[1] In the same year she moved to work as professor of European Law at Tilburg University. She held a position there from 1995 until 2003, when she moved to Utrecht University where she occupies the same position and is still currently employed.[5]
European Court of Justice
editIn 2010 Prechal was appointed as a judge of the European Court of Justice.[5] She had applied for the position after seeing an advertisement in the NRC Handelsblad and her husband advised to pursue the option.[3] She succeeded Christiaan Timmermans as the Dutch judge and finished his term.[3][6] In February 2018 her term in office was extended for another six years.[7] In 2022 Prechal stated she was not interested in pursuing a third term and preferred to dedicate time to academic activity, leisure, and writing a third edition of her original thesis.[3] As a judge she argued against the formation of specialized chambers within the Court.[8] She handled a case on the discrimination of women regarding social security in Spain.[3] She retired as a judge in 2024 and was succeeded by Ben Smulders.[9]
Prechal stated that her predecessors Thijmen Koopmans and Jos Kapteyn, whom she worked under between 1987 and 1991, were large influences, teaching her professional skills.[3]
Honours and awards
editIn 2008 Prechal was made member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.[10] Prechal was named as the most powerful Dutch woman in the field of Justice and Public Order in 2012 by Opzij magazine.[11] She obtained an honorary doctorate from Tilburg University in 2013.[2]
In 2024 the European University Institute awarded Prechal their EUI Honoris Causa Degree in recognotion of her contribution to European law.[4]
Personal life
editPrechal met her future husband Alex Brenninkmeijer at a conference. The couple owned a house in the French Alps. Brenninkmeijer died in 2022.[3]
Other activities
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Dr. A. (Sacha) Prechal" (in Dutch). Europa Nu. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Prof. dr. A. (Sacha) Prechal". Tilburg University. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ellenbroek, Ellis (17 May 2022). "'European law has changed a lot for women'". University of Groningen. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Sacha Prechal receives EUI Honoris Causa Degree 2024". European University Institute. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
- ^ a b "Presentation of the Members". Court of Justice. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
- ^ "Prof.Dr. Sacha Prechal rechter aan het Hof van Justitie EU" (in Dutch). lnvh.nl. 23 February 2010. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023.
- ^ "Nederlandse EU-rechter Sacha Prechal voor tweede termijn benoemd" (in Dutch). Expertisecentrum Europees Recht - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019.
- ^ de Boer, Nik (18 December 2013). "Interview with Judge Sacha Prechal of the European Court of Justice: Part I: Working at the CJEU". European Law Blog. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Partial renewal of the Court of Justice and entry into office of new Members of the General Court" (PDF). Court of Justice of the European Union. 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "Sacha Prechal". Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Top-100 2012 Justitie & openbare orde" (in Dutch). Opzij Magazine. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
- ^ Board of Advisors European Constitutional Law Review.