Born on 15 November 1947 in Leon, Spain

• B.A. in Law, University of Madrid, 1969
• Master in Political Science, Michigan State University, 1975
• Doctor of Law, University of Madrid, 1975
• Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Madrid, 1975-1978
• Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Extremadura (Cáceres), 1978-1995
• Clerk at the Constitutional Court of Spain, 1982-1986
• Judge of the Constitutional Court of Spain, 1986-1995
• Alternative Representative and Legal Expert for the Venice Commission, 1995-2003
• Professor of Constitutional Law, Universidad Carlos III (Madrid), 1995-2008
• Vice-President of the General Council of the Judiciary, 1996-2001
• Director of the Institute of Comparative Public Law, Universidad Carlos III, 2001-2003
• Secretary of State for Justice, Ministry of Justice of Spain, 2004-2007
• Vice-President of Section from 1 November 2014 to 31 August 2015
• President of Section from 1 September 2015 to 31 January 2017
• Judge of the European Court of Human Rights from 1 February 2008 to 14 March 2018