Bachelor's in Law; Master's in Juridical and Political Science, University of Lisbon. 1982, Lawyer and Judirical Assistant and Assistant Professor, Lisbon Law School; 1986, Professor, Lisbon Autonomous University; 1989-94, Judge, Portuguese Constitutional Court; 1998-99 Chairman, General Assembly, Banco Santander Portugal; 1998-99, Professor, International University. Since 1980, Member of Parliament; 1980-84, Member, Joint European Parliament/Portuguese Parliament Committee on European Integration; 1984-85, Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs; 1985-86, Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Affairs and Civil Rights; 1986-87, Secretary of State for Administration and Justice of Macao Government; 1987-89, Representative of President Mario Soares, Sino-Portuguese Joint Liaison Group on Macao; 1994, Member of the European Parliament; Chairman, Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs Committee; 1995-97, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence; since 1999, Commissioner, Justice and Home Affairs, European Commission, Brussels. Author of various books on European Affairs, Constitutional Affairs and Political Science.