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Friday, 18 April 2025

Professor Alessandro Pace has sadly passed away

With profound sorrow, the EPLO announces that Professor Alessandro Pace, a dear friend and colleague for many years, distinguished academic and member of the European Group of Public Law (EGPL), as well as one of the most respected exponents of Constitutional Law in Italy, suddenly passed away on 18 April 2025 at the age of 89.

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Alessandro Pace was born in Lanciano (Italy) in 1935 and graduated in Law from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in 1957; he was a student of Carlo Esposito and Vezio Crisafulli, and obtained his teaching qualification in 1967.

He taught Constitutional law at the Universities of Cagliari (1968-1973), Modena (1973-1974) and Florence (1974-1980), before being called to hold, in the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University "La Sapienza" of Rome, the chair of Economics and Law and, later, that of Institutions of Public Law. In 1990 he was appointed full professor of Constitutional law in the Faculty of Law of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, until his retirement in 2010. In 2012 he was appointed Professor emeritus of Constitutional law at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

In 1992 he was appointed co-director of the legal review "Giurisprudenza costituzionale", of which he became director in 1999. He has been President of the Italian Association of Constitutionalists (2006-2009).

In Italy he is well known for his involvement in the campaigns in defence of the Italian Constitution and for the idea that law is a tool for the defence and guarantee of constitutional freedoms.

His ideas and main research interests are reflected in the contributions he provided for the activities of the Group, related to the freedom of expression (“Constitutional protection of freedom of expression in Italy”, ERPL/REDP, vol. 2.1, 1990), to the theories on the different ways to establish a constitutional legal order (“L'instaurazione di una nuova Costituzione - Profili di teoria costituzionale”, ERPL/REDP, vol. 9.4, 1997), on the fundamental rights protected by the EU Charter (“A che serve la carta dei diritti fondamentali dell'unione europea? Appunti preliminary”, ERPL/REDP, vol. 14.1, 2002) and on the distinction between rigid and flexible constitutions (“Rigid and Flexible Constitutions”, ERPL/REDP, vol. 15, no 3, 2003).

The EPLO extends its most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched.