1936
Born in Tržič
A Gorenjska beginning that later opened into academic and diplomatic spaces.
Life path
A biography with rare institutional breadth
Dr. Ernest Petrič is among the most recognizable Slovenian jurists and diplomats of a generation that connected academic knowledge, international institutions and Slovenian statehood.
Timeline
Milestones that explain the whole
After graduating from the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana in 1960, he worked at the Institute for Ethnic Studies. In 1965 he earned a doctorate in international law and later became a professor of international law and international relations.
At the Faculty of Sociology, Political Science and Journalism, today the Faculty of Social Sciences, he held research, teaching and leadership roles. He served as dean and helped shape the study of international relations.
His diplomatic work included India, the United States, the United Nations in New York and Austria. In 2006/07 he chaired the IAEA Board of Governors.
In 2008 he was elected a Constitutional Court judge. From November 2010 to November 2013 he served as president of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia. His judicial mandate ended in April 2017.
He is the author and co-author of monographs and many scholarly texts. A key work is Foreign Policy: From Conception to Diplomatic Practice.
1960
Law degree
Graduates from the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana and enters research work.
1965
Doctorate
Earns a doctorate in legal sciences in the field of international law.
1983 to 1986
Addis Ababa
Teaches international law at the university in Ethiopia alongside other visiting academic roles.
1989 to 1991
Ambassador to India
Enters one of the most visible diplomatic periods before Slovenian independence.
2000 to 2002
UN, New York
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations.
2002 to 2008
Ambassador to Austria
Leads Slovenian diplomatic presence in Vienna.
2010 to 2013
Constitutional Court
President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia.
2020
Venice Commission
Appointed to the European Commission for Democracy through Law.