Nicos C. Alivizatos was born in Athens in 1949 but his family originates from the islands of Cefalonia and Chios. He studied law in Athens, whre he obtained his LL.B. in 1972, and in Paris, where he obtained his doctorate degree (doctorat d’ Etat) in 1977.
He has been practicing law in Athens since 1978 and specializes in public law litigation, in particular property law, media law, law of education, environmental law and minority rights. He pleads regularly before the Council of State (Greece’s Supreme Administrative Law) and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He has been among others involved in the following litigations: the tracing of the Hymettus Circular Road, the indemnisation of good faith owners of properties that have been seized for the protection of the environment, the diversion of the Acheloos river, the fate of the Greek royal family’s properties and, finally, the application of the Ecumenical Patriarchate against Turkey, concerning the orphanage of the island of Pringipos.
Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Athens, where has been teaching constitutional law since 1980. Visiting scholar a the Universities of Stanford (1989), Princeton (1997) and Oxford (2005). Member of the National Broadcasting Authority (1989-90), of the Data Protection Authority (1997-2002), of the European Group of Ethics (2002-2005) and of the Legal Council of the Bank of Greece (since 2006). Interim Minister of the Interior of the government of C. Simitis for the general election of 7 March 2004.
His books include Les institutions politiques de la Grèce à travers les crises, 1922-1977, Paris, LGDJ, 1979 (also in Greek, Athens, Themelio, 1996), The Constitutional Status of the Armed Forces, Athens-Komotini, A. Sakkouls publ. vol. 1 (1987), vol. 2(1992, in Greek), Uncertain Modernization, Athens, Polis publ., 2001 (in Greek), The Royal Property in Strasbourg, Athens-Komotini, A. Sakkoulas publ., 2003 (in Greek), Beyond Article 16, Athens, Metaichmio, 2007 (in Greek). He has published more than 65 articles and legal opinions in Greek, English and French periodicals and books.
Founding member and first General Secretary (1984-1988) of the Union of Greek Constitutional Law Scholars, member of the Board since 1979 and President (1999-2002) of the Hellenic League of Human Rights.
Columnist for the Athens dailies To Vima (1986-2000), Ta Nea (2000-2008) and Kathimerini (2008 -).
Married to Yanna Diakou-Alivizatou, who is also a lawyer, he has a daughter, Marilena, who teaches museology at the UCL(London), and Costas, who is an architect. Beyond Greek, he is fluent in French and English.