Aida Kemelmajer de Carlucci, Doctor Honoris Causa of the University Paris-Est Creteil Val de Marne

 

The ceremony took place in one of the amphitheatres of the Faculty of Law at the university. Leo Netten, president of the UIHJ wanted to honour by his presence the illustrious recipient, member of the Scientific Council of the UIHJ. Dominique Aribaut, Treasurer, Françoise Andrieux, General Secretary, and Mathieu Chardon, 1st secretary, also attended.
The ceremony was chaired by William Marois, rector of the Academy of Créteil, chancellor of the universities. Around Mrs Kemelmajer de Carlucci also were Jean-Jacques Israel, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Simone Bonnafous, President of the University of Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne and François Chabas, honorary professor, his sponsor for this award.
Professor Israel recalled that the title of Doctor Honoris Causa was the highest academic honour. "It symbolizes the unity of culture and especially the legal culture," he said. The handing of such a distinction is also a privileged moment of conviviality and joy, said the dean. Referring to the comings and goings of the professor between the judiciary and the university during her career, Mr Israel said that the recipient had represented the legal culture of the university and had enriched it by her experience.
Mrs Bonnafous then delivered words of welcome to the attention of the participants. The president of the university praised "the exceptional career" of Doctor de Carlucci in the field of law. She recalled that her first visit to the University of Paris 12, later to become Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne, went back to fifteen years, and that she had taught there several times. President Bonnafous praised her universality and international culture as well as her legal career.
Following her, William Marois welcomed Mrs de Carlucci and congratulated her in advance. He said that the title of Doctor Honoris Causa was to honour a colleague whose work and commitment are recognized both at home and internationally.
François Chabas traced the rich and brilliant career of the professor. "Once upon a time ..." he began with an undeniable talent as a storyteller, not hesitating to compare the life of Mrs de Carlucci to a fairy tale. Stressing her exceptional abilities to work, he referred to her career as a judge which had made her embrace all topics of law, and her ability to set precedents through her multiple decisions with national repercussions. Professor Chabas stressed that his counterpart had been elected "Woman Judge of the Year" in her country by an independent authority. "The second aspect of her talent is writing," he said. Since her doctorate, François Chabas referred to the many books written by Professor de Carlucci, in addition to "hundreds of articles in all journals in Latin America and Europe." Mr Chabas announced that Mrs de Carlucci had the largest of any law library in Argentina, and that she puts this library readily available to the public. The third issue addressed by the speaker concerned the publication of the work of the professor: "What is most striking is not just that you have followers, but that you have also made an unprecedented number of courses and lectures, delivered outside Mendoza: more than six hundred conferences and courses in Argentina, and over one hundred and thirty abroad. " Mr Chabas completed his eulogy by paying homage to the "inseparable" husband of the professor, himself a brilliant lawyer and a "man of heart."
In response, Aida Kemelmajer de Carlucci expressed she was very moved by this tribute while wondering very modestly what the reasons for the giving of such a distinction could be. She recounted the past of the university that honoured her. "The links between Latin America and France are very close and old, from the code Napoleon," she said. At the end of her speech, Dr de Carlucci thanked the University of Paris-Val de Marne Créteil for this distinction, and particularly François Chabas, who introduced her to the French university world.
The UIHJ extends its warmest congratulations to Professor de Carlucci. The distinction is also an honour for the UIHJ as well as to its Scientific Council of which she a prominent member.