Albert Lilar | |
---|---|
Born | Albert Jean Julien François 21 December 1900 |
Died | 16 March 1976 | (aged 75)
Nationality | Belgian |
Occupation(s) | politician, lawyer |
Albert Jean Julien François, Baron Lilar (21 December 1900 – 16 March 1976) was a Belgian politician of the Liberal Party and a Minister of Justice.
Lilar was a renowned lawyer of Admiralty and International Private Law in Antwerp, and Chairman of the International Maritime Committee. He was also a Professor of Law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
In his political life, Lilar was a member of Parliaments for the liberal party, Senator of the Arrondissement Antwerp (1946–1971) and four times Minister of Justice (1946–1947, 1949–1950, 1954-1958 en 1960-1961). He became Minister of State in 1969. Under the Gaston Eyskens Government (1958–1960), Lilar was Vice-premier of the Cabinet.
As Vice-Premier, he was elected president of the Round Table in 1960 whose discussions lead to the independence of the Belgian Congo.
A great humanitarian and defender of human rights, no death penalties were carried out under his terms as minister of justice.[1]
He married in 1929 the writer Suzanne Lilar (née Vebist),[2] and fathered 2 daughters : writer Françoise Mallet-Joris (1930 - 2016) and the 18th century art historian Marie Fredericq-Lilar (1934 - 2022).[3]
The Albert Lilar Prize from the Comité Maritime International is awarded for a leading work on maritime law published in any language in the world during the previous five years.