Venice Commission of the Council of Europe

Full Professor of Constitutional Law, Carlos III University of Madrid

1. PROFESSIONAL PROFILE (RULE OF LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS)
Accredited Full Professor of Constitutional Law and former Legal Officer at the Constitutional Court of Spain (2008–2025), with over fifteen years of direct experience within high-complexity constitutional jurisdiction. Specialized in fundamental rights protection, multilevel constitutionalism, structural equality, and the articulation between national and international legal orders. Proven track record of providing expert counsel to international bodies, including the Council of Europe and the European Commission, on judicial reform, child-friendly justice, and the consolidation of Rule of Law institutions.

2. JUDICIAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Legal Officer (Letrada) at the Constitutional Court of Spain
October 2008 – August 2010 / June 2011 – November 2025

• Served as the primary assistant to a Justice of the Constitutional Court during the periods 2011–2013 and 2017–2025.

Accredited Full Professor / Associate Professor of Constitutional Law. 
Carlos III University of Madrid (2010 – Present)

3. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND INSTITUTIONAL COOPERATION

• European Commission – FIIAPP (May 2015): International Expert Consultant in the European Union Twinning Project (DZ-2011-AA-JH-08) in Algeria. Provided technical advice and legal analysis for the reform of constitutional justice, the implementation of concrete constitutional review mechanisms, and alignment with international Rule of Law standards.
• Council of Europe (2022 – 2024): Expert Consultant on Child-Friendly Justice within the framework of the Barnahus Project (Spain). Drafted legal analysis reports and provided guidance for institutional coordination and effective judicial protection of minors.
• International Commission of Jurists / Fundación Raíces (September 2016): International Expert on age-determination procedures and procedural safeguards for unaccompanied minors under regional and universal human rights standards.
• Conference of Ministers of Justice of Ibero-American Countries (COMJIB) (2007 – 2008): Expert Consultant and author of comparative studies and regulatory recommendations directed at judicial and legislative reform concerning women's rights.
• International Technical Cooperation (Panama, 2006): Expert within the Spanish-Panamanian Joint Commission for the design and implementation of judicial observatories and strengthening the institutional response of the judiciary.

4. ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

• PhD in Law (European Mention & Extraordinary Doctoral Award): Carlos III University of Madrid / Università degli Studi di Pisa (1998–2003). Advanced doctoral research focused on the system of sources, constitutional review, and the multilevel protection of fundamental rights.
• Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) in Constitutional Law and Political Science: Center for Political and Constitutional Studies (CEPC) – Ministry of the Presidency (2001–2002). Specialized in state theory, political institutions, and constitutional limits on power.
• University Specialist in the European Union: Diplomatic School of Spain – Ministry of Affairs (2001–2002). Specialized training in EU law and the articulation between normative systems.
• Specialization Diploma in Constitutional Jurisdiction: 'Manuel García Pelayo' Institute of Public Comparative Law (2000).
• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.): University of Extremadura (1993–1998).

5. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (RULE OF LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS)
1. Books

• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2004). Conflicto y cooperación entre la Constitución y el Derecho internacional. Editorial Tirant lo Blanch.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2017). El derecho a tener derechos: definición jurisprudencial del estatuto de la persona extranjera. Editorial Thomson Reuters.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2017). Una Constituyente feminista: ¿cómo reformar la Constitución con perspectiva de género? Editorial Marcial Pons.

2. Chapters/ Articles 
European Court of Human Rights and Multilevel System of Guarantees. 

• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2013). "Asuntos Muñoz Díaz c. España y Manzanas Martín c. España: abrir la puerta al reconocimiento de derechos sociales a través de la cláusula de igualdad". En Conflicto y diálogo con Europa. Las condenas a España del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos (pp. 641–685). Thomson Civitas.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2017). "Le recours à l’article 10.2 de la Constitution espagnole dans la jurisprudence récente du Tribunal constitutionnel". En Les défis de l’interprétation et de l’application des droits de l’homme (pp. 111–134). Éditions Pedone.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2017). "La juridiction constitutionnelle en Espagne : un système intégral de justice constitutionnelle ?". En Le contrôle de constitutionnalité des décisions de justice (pp. 363–379). UMR DICE.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2020). "Vulnérabilité et droits fondamentaux dans le système constitutionnel espagnol aujourd’hui". En 40 ans d’application de la Constitution espagnole (pp. 71–97). Institut Francophone pour la Justice et la Démocratie.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2020). "La création d’un standard européen ou l’époque des « arrêts fondateurs »". Revue Trimestrielle des Droits de l’Homme, vol. 121, pp. 31–70.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I., y Montesinos Padilla, C. (2021). "Strategies for compliance with non-binding international decisions: The Spanish case". Quebec Journal of International Law, Special Issue, pp. 87–113. https://doi.org/10.7202/1079424ar  
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2021). "Volodina c. Rusia (I) y S. M. c. Croacia: la jurisprudencia incompleta del TEDH". IgualdadES, vol. 5, pp. 311–348.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I., Bottini, E., Passaglia, P., y Ragone, S. (2023). "The state of comparative public law: The Romano-Germanic tradition. Western European experiences". Comparative Public Law / Droit Public Comparé, vol. 1, pp. 1–37. https://doi.org/10.35562/droit-public-compare.121  
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2024). "La difusión de pornografía como ejercicio de la libertad de expresión: Comentario a PRYANISHNIKOV c. Rusia". Derecom, vol. 35.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2025). "L’adaptation aux normes internationales de la méthode de détermination de l’âge des mineurs non accompagnés en Espagne". En La détermination de l’âge des mineurs non accompagnés (pp. 187–216). Larcier–Bruylant.

Constitutional Justice

• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2018). "Una década de incidente de nulidad de actuaciones: ¿aclaración, reforma o supresión?". Revista Española de Derecho Constitucional, vol. 113, pp. 71–102.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2024). "El Tribunal Constitucional como artífice (o no) de la idea de integración constitucional". Teoría y Realidad Constitucional, vol. 53, pp. 455–491.

Rights of vulnerable people

• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2021). "L’accès des mineurs à la justice constitutionnelle par la voie incidente". En Systèmes de contrôle de constitutionnalité par voie incidente (pp. 249–264). París.
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2021). "Does strategic litigation change the lives of children who travel alone to Spain?". En Proceedings of the XV Congress of Anthropology (pp. 736–763). 
• Gómez Fernández, M. I. (2025). "Evolución del marco jurídico español en materia de migración y asilo: la progresión hacia un sistema descentralizado e integrado en la Unión Europea". REAF-JSG, vol. 42, pp. 15–60. https://doi.org/10.57645/20.8080.01.62 

For a comprehensive and fully updated list of academic publications and monographs, please consult my profile on Dialnet: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/autor?codigo=1214105  

6. LANGUAGES

• Spanish: Native speaker.
• French: Bilingual / Full professional proficiency (Dual Spanish-French nationality).
• English: Full professional proficiency (C1/C2 - Academic fluency in research, publication, and drafting).