THE FRENCH BRANCH IN BRIEF

9 decades of the French Branch in a few dates

On March 4, 1925, the “Association internationale de droit (Branche française)” was founded in Paris as a member of the federation of national branches created in 1873 in Brussels, Belgium.

The purpose of this association was “the reform and codification of the law of nations, the unification of private law, particularly maritime, commercial and air law, and generally all studies of public and private international law. In 1966, it took its current name “Association de droit international – Branche française”.

Its honorary president was then Paul GOVARE, honorary Attorney, specialized in maritime law and its president Léopold DOR, also internationally known in this field. Its Board of Directors included, among others, Henry FROMAGEOT, jurisconsult of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Ambroise COLIN, privatist, Albert DE GEOUFFRE DE LA PRADELLE, publicist, Georges RIPERT, privatist, Charles LYON-CAEN, privatist, and the secretary general of the Central Committee of Shipowners, Jacques MARCHEGAY.

In 1935, Professor Albert DE GEOUFFRE DE LA PRADELLE was elected president, while Jacques MARCHEGAY was elected secretary general, with Pierre-Olivier LAPIE, an Attorney, as his deputy.

In 1936, the French Branch organized the 39th Conference of the World Association and Prof. Albert de LA PRADELLE became, according to tradition, the President of the World Association for two years.

In 1951, Me Marcelle KRAEMER-BACH was the first woman to be elected vice-president.

In 1965, Prof. Henri BATIFFOL, a privatist, became president. He then gave up his place to his colleague Berthold GOLDMAN, also a privatist, who was President of the University of Paris 2 in the 1970s. Professor André FRANÇON, a privatist, became secretary general, with Professor and Attorney Jean-Denis BREDIN, a privatist, as deputy. Professor Jacques DEHAUSSY, a publicist, then Dean of the Faculty of Law of Dijon, became vice-president. Prof. Yvon LOUSSOUARN, privatist, and Charles ROUSSEAU, publicist, as well as Me Paul-François RYZIGER, Avocat aux Conseils, joined the Board.

In 1967, Professor Suzanne BASTID, a publicist, joined the Board, along with Pierre BELLET, then President of one of the Chambers of the Paris Court of Appeal (who would later become First President of the Court of Cassation), Jean LISBONNE, an Attorney, and Eugène PEPIN, Vice-President of the Society of Air and Space Law.

In 1971, Prof. Yvon LOUSSOUARN was elected President of the French Branch, a position which was succeeded by Jean LISBONNE, a lawyer, in 1981.

In 1984, the French Branch of the ILA/ADI organized the 61st Conference of the World Association. Prof. Michel VIRALLY is elected President of the French Branch after Jean LISBONNE becomes President of the ILA/ADI.

In 1989, Mr. Gilbert GUILLAUME, judge at the International Court of Justice, of which he was later to become President, was elected President of the Association. During the mandate of President Guillaume, Profs. Emmanuel GAILLARD and Catherine KESSEDJIAN, Mr. Dominique HASCHER and Prof. François-Xavier TRAIN did hold in turn the position of Secretary General.

The almost perfect alternation between privatists and publicists is still respected in 2014, when Prof. Catherine KESSEDJIAN, privatist, is elected president while Prof. Franck LATTY, publicist, becomes Secretary General.

For the first time in 2015 is created the position of Director of Studies of the French branch. It is Prof. Régis BISMUTH, publicist, who has held this position since then.

In 2021, Prof. Franck LATTY is elected President while Ms. Carla BAKER-CHISS, Attorney, is elected Secretary General. The Board of Directors is growing to assume the governance of an association that now exceeds 300 members (full members and student members).