D'AMICO MARIA ELISA

Marilisa D’Amico is Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Milan, School of Law, Department of Italian and Supranational Public Law.
She is Vice Rector for Legality, Transparency and Equality of Rights, University of Milan (october 2018).
Born in Milan on 12th June 1965, awardes the Law degree Magna Cum Laude with honorable mention at the University of Milan, School of Law, with a thesis in Constitutional Law and, at the same time, collaborates with the Chair of Constitutional Law, assigned to Professor Valerio Onida, at the University of Milan, School of Law.
In 1988, She is admitted to the Phd Programme in Constitutional Law at the University of Milan.
In 1991, once completed the Phd Programme, became Researcher in Constitutional Law at the University of Milan, School of Law
In 1994, She spends a period of study abroad at the University of Bayreuth (Germany), where She collaborates with the Chair of Professor Peter Haberle at The Max-Planck Institut of Friburg (Germany).
From 1996, and until 2005, She held the Course of Constitutional Justice at the University of Milan, School of Law. In 1998, She became Associated Professor at the Constitutional Law scientific disciplinary sector, at the University of Insubria, School of Law–based in Como.
In 2001, She became Full Professor at the University of Insubria, School of Law, based in Como, where She held the Course of Constitutional Law and continues to held the Course of Constitutional Justice at The University of Milan, School of Law.
In 2004, She achieved the qualification of Full Professor at the University of Milan, School of Law and, from 2005, begins helding the Course of Constitutional Law advanced at The University of Milan, School of Law.
From 2005 to 2009, She is Scientific Coordinator, together with Professor Bianca Beccalli, of the course: “Woman, politics and Institutions” at the University of Milan.
In 2006, She held the Course of Parliamentary Law and Constitutional Law advanced at The University of Milan, School of Law.
In 2007, She is elected as President of the Equal Opportunities Commission of the University of Milan and, in the same year, coordinates and develops a research commissioned by IRER (an institution based by the Lombardia Region) entitled: “Women, Institutions between power and political representation”.
From 2008, She held the Course of Constitutional Law, Constitutional Law advanced and, starting with the academic year 2011/2012, Constitutional Justice at the University of Milan, School of Law.
In 2009, as a lawyer and University Professor, She has been in charge by Milieu ltd (a multi-disciplinary consultancy based in Brussels, which works closely with EU institutions) of arranging a report about the equality bodies and gender discrimination and jurisdiction protection for the European Union Commission.
From 2009 to 2012, She has been a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission at the Milan Bar Association.
From 2009 to September 2013, She was delegated by the Dean of the University of Milan for disabilities and handicap.
In 2011 and 2012, She is also scientific coordinator of the specialization course in Equal Opportunities and Gender Discrimination.
From 2011 until September 2013, She has been member of the Milan City Council and President of the Institutional Affairs board at the Milan City Council.
From 2013, She is scientific coordinator of two courses of specialization: the first one in Equal Opportunities and Discrimination and the second one in Corporate Governance, Rules and Meritocracy.
In October 2013, She has been elected member of the Council of Presidency of Administrative Justice (CPGA).
From 2014, She becomes member of the University Research Center on Gender Culture.
In 2015, She becomes the coordinator of the Discrimination and Inequalities Research Strategic Team of the University of Milan.

Professor D’Amico’s research activity involved two main subjects: Constitutional Justice, on one hand, and fundamental rights protection, on the other hand.
A consistent part of investigation focused on fundamental rights protection, with specific regard firstly to the issues pertaining to Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy (see, the monography, Donna e aborto nella Germania riunificata, Giuffrè, Milano, 1994; Una lettura della disciplina sull’interruzione volontaria della gravidanza in una problematica decisione di inammissibilità del referendum, in Giur. cost., 1997, I), and, afterwards, regarding the constitutional profiles revealed by the legislation in the field of Medically-Assisted Procreation (see, among several articles, Il divieto di diagnosi “preimpianto”. Fra Corte costituzionale e giudici comuni sul problema postosi a Cagliari, in Bioetica, 2007, n. 4; Sull’incostituzionalità del divieto di “fecondazione eterologa” fra i principi costituzionali ed europei, in Il divieto di donazione dei gameti. Fra Corte costituzionale e Corte Europea dei Diritti dell’Uomo, with B. Liberali, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2012; La fecondazione artificiale fra Legislatore, Giudice costituzionale e Giudici comuni, in M. D'Amico, B. Liberali (editors), La legge n. 40 del 2004 ancora a giudizio: la parola alla Corte Costituzionale, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2012).
The overall and theoretical analysis in the field of fundmental rights, at a national level, was finally expressed in the monographic essay, I Diritti contesi, published by FrancoAngeli, Milan, in 2008 and 2016 and, as far as the supranational level is concerned, in the paper La Carta Sociale Europea e la tutela dei diritti sociali (in La Carta Sociale Europea e la tutela dei diritti sociali, editor with G. Guiglia and B. Liberali, Milano, E.S.I., Napoli, 2013).
A significant part of the scientific activity in this field, addresses the topic of gender discrimination, with peculiar regard to the topic of women’s political representation.
Professor D’Amico was one of the first scholar of Constitutional Law to investigate and enhance gender studies, in her scientific production, both in a national (see, among several articles, the recent monography Il difficile cammino della democrazia paritaria, Giappichelli, Torino, 2011; Le quote di genere nei consigli di amministrazione delle imprese (editor with A. Puccio), FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2013; La laicità è donna, L’asino d’oro, Roma, 2013) and supranational perspective (Perspectives on Political Participation, HumanSecurity and "Gender Education": the Italian Case (from the Equality Deficit to the Challenges of Multiuculturalism, in International Perspectives on Gender Equality & Social Diversity, edited by M. Tsujimura, Sendai, Tohoku University Press, 2008), as well as by promoting several initiatives and specialization courses in the field of equal opportunities and gender discrimination.
Considerable attention was devoted to the study of Constitutional Justice, with regard to several of its aspects.
Referring to the nature of the Constitutional process, Professor D’Amico inquired the political or jurisdictional nature of the process of Constitutional Legitimacy (see, among others, Dalla giustizia costituzionale al diritto processuale costituzionale, in Giur.it., 1990, parte IV), focusing on the parties’ role in the constitutional process (see, the monography Parti e processo nella giustizia costituzionale, Giappichelli, Torino, 1991; I soggetti del processo costituzionale nella giurisprudenza della Corte costituzionale: una rilettura, in La Corte costituzionale vent’anni dopo la svolta, Quaderni del “Gruppo di Pisa”, Giappichelli, Torino, 2011, 223-235, edited by R. Balduzzi, M. Cavino, J. Luther), the role and prerogatives of the a quo Judge (see, among others, Sospensione del processo e questione di costituzionalità pendente, in Riv. Dir. civ., 1988, II; Sulla revocabilità dell’ordinanza di sospensione del processo per incidente di costituzionalità, in Giur. cost., 1988, II; La revocabilità dell’ordinanza di rimessione della questione di costituzionalità: nuovi spunti e nuovi problemi, in Giur. cost., 1989, vol. II), the elements of the question of the constitutional legitimacy with regard to relevance and not manifest groundlessness, the tipology and the efficacy of Constitutional Court’s sentences concerning the constitutional legitimacy (see, the monography Giudizio sulle leggi ed efficacia temporale delle decisioni di incostituzionalità, Giuffrè, Milano, 1993). With regard to the resolution of Conflicts of Power, the through investigation focused on parties intervention (see, L’intervento nei giudizi per conflitto di attribuzione, in Giur. cost., 1988, II, vol. II). The specific interest in the field of Constitutional Justice involved as well the process of constitutional legitimacy of laws and acts having the force of law of the State and Regions (see, Le zone d’ombra nel giudizio di legittimità costituzionale in via principale, in Le zone d’ombra della giustizia costituzionale. I giudizi sulle leggi, edited by R. Balduzzi, P. Costanzo, Giappichelli, Torino 2007; Il giudizio davanti alla Corte e gli effetti delle decisioni, Sull’uso delle regole processuali da parte della Corte nel giudizio in via principale, in I ricorsi in via principale, Giuffrè, Milano, 2010).
Another significant part of the research activity dealt with some constitutional aspects of Criminal Law, focusing on some of the most crucial penal institutions, with regard to the Constitutional Court’s case-law, among which the issue concerning the Constitutional Court’s possibility of adopting in malam partem “additive decisions” (see, Una nuova figura di reato: la bestemmia contro la divinità, in Giur. cost., 1995, III). The study of Constitutional Court’s case-law in the field of Criminal Law is also testified by the draft of the related annual report in the Journal Rivista italiana di diritto e procedura penale.
The same topics have been thoroughly examined even from a supranational perspective (see, Riflessioni introduttive ad uno studio sulle libertà costituzionali in materia penale, in Libertà e giurisprudenza costituzionale,edited by V. Angiolini, Giappichelli, 1992; Il principio di legalità in materia penale fra Corte costituzionale e Corti europee, in Le Corti dell’integrazione europea e la Corte costituzionale italiana, Napoli 2006, 153 e ss.; Relazione introduttiva. Ai confini (nazionali e sovranazionali) del favor rei, in R. Bin, G. Brunelli, A. Pugiotto, P. Veronesi (edited by), Ai confini del “favor rei”. Il falso in bilancio davanti alle Corti costituzionale e di giustizia, Torino, Giappichelli, 2005, p. 1 ss.).