Paola Severino

Paola Severino is Vice President of LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome with a mandate for internationalization. She has been the Rector of LUISS University from 2016 to June 2018, having formerly served as Deputy Rector. She is Professor of Criminal Law and President of LUISS School of Law. She served as Italy's Minister of Justice in the Cabinet led by Mario Monti. A criminal lawyer on the Roll of solicitors of Rome since 1975 and consultant to many major companies, banks and trade associations, throughout her career Paola Severino has placed special emphasis on the fight against corruption in all its forms. In her capacity as Minister of Justice, in 2012 she presented to the Italian Parliament the Law regarding Provisions for prevention and repression of corruption and illegality in the Public Administration.

She is President of the “Osservatorio per il monitoraggio dell’efficienza complessiva del sistema giustizia e per la valutazione dell’efficacia delle riforme necessarie alla crescita del Paese” at the Italian Ministry of Justice. She is also President of the AIDP – Italian Group (Association Internationale de Droit Penal) and a member of several committees, including of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.  Severino has been a speaker at many conferences on criminal law and commercial criminal law as well as a member of several ministerial committees on the reform of criminal law and criminal procedural law.  

She has been appointed by Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni as a member of the working group in charge of drafting the so called “Quirinale Treaty”, which will represent a reference framework for the development of the future bilateral relations between Italy and France.