Jean-Pierre Cot

Jean-Pierre Cot (born 23 October 1937) is a French politician and jurist who served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1978 to 1979 and from 1984 to 1999. Since 2002, he has been a judge for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Biography He is the son of Pierre Cot, also a politician and minister.

After studying law at Sorbonne University in Paris from 1955 to 1965, he earned a Ph.D. in 1966. He then was professor of public law and international law at the University of Amiens, then the University of Paris I, before being elected as a deputy for Savoie in 1973. He was later re-elected, before joining the Socialist government of Pierre Mauroy in 1981 as deputy minister in charge of Co-operation and Development.

He was a Member of European Parliament (MEP) in 1978–1979 and 1984–1999, and chaired the socialist group of the European Parliament between 1989 and 1994, before becoming its vice-president in 1997.

Since 2002, he has been a member of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

In 2017, he was made an officer of the Legion of Honour.