# René Cassin

_French jurist (1887-1976)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/rene-cassin
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> René Samuel Cassin (5 October 1887 – 20 February 1976) was a French jurist known for co-authoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 5 October 1887 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Bayonne ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P19))
- **Died:** 20 February 1976 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P570))
- **Place of death:** 13th arrondissement of Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P20))
- **Citizenship:** France ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P27))
- **Occupation:** jurist; diplomat; politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P106))
- **Political party:** Radical-Socialist and Radical Republican Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P102))
- **Education:** Lycée Masséna; Faculté de droit d'Aix-en-Provence; University of Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P69))
- **Positions held:** president (1969–1976); President of the European Court of Human Rights (20 May 1965 – 15 June 1968); member of the Consitutional council (11 July 1960 – 2 March 1971); Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (21 January 1959 – 20 February 1976); president (1954–1976); president (27 March 1947 – 20 February 1976); president (1947–1960); president (1946–1949); Vice President of the State Council of France (29 November 1944 – 30 September 1960); president (1943–1976); president (1922–1924) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P39))
- **Awards:** Nobel Peace Prize; Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour; Croix de guerre 1914–1918; Commander of the French Order of Academic Palms; Companion of the Liberation; Resistance Medal; United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights; Médaille militaire; Honorary doctor of the University of Oxford ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873#P166))

## About

Born in Bayonne, Cassin served as a soldier in the First World War during which he was seriously wounded. He was of Portuguese-Jewish descent.

On 24 June 1940, during the Second World War, Cassin heeded General Charles de Gaulle's radio appeal and joined him in London. Cassin used his legal expertise to help de Gaulle's Free French.

Between 1944 and 1959, Cassin was a member of the Council of State.

Seconded to the UN Commission on Human Rights after the war, he was a major contributor to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For that work, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968. The same year, he was awarded one of the UN General Assembly's Human Rights Prizes.

## Questions

**When was René Cassin born?**  
René Cassin was born on 5 October 1887 in Bayonne.

**What positions has René Cassin held?**  
Positions held by René Cassin include: president (1969–1976); President of the European Court of Human Rights (1965–1968); member of the Consitutional council (1960–1971); Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (1959–1976); president (1954–1976).

**Where did René Cassin study?**  
René Cassin was educated at Lycée Masséna, Faculté de droit d'Aix-en-Provence, University of Paris.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): René Cassin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Cassin) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q232873](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232873) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: René Cassin nobel.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ren%C3%A9_Cassin_nobel.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article René Cassin, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: René Cassin nobel.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"René Cassin". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/rene-cassin. Retrieved 5 November 2026.