Prof. Dr. iur.

Stephan Rixen

University of Cologne

Focus of the Commitment in the German Ethics Council

  • Ethical and legal issues at the end of life
  • Ethical and legal aspects of transplantation medicine
  • Protection of vulnerable persons in health care
  • Infection prevention / pandemics as a challenge for ethics and law

Contact for Press Enquiries on the Following Topics

  • Assisted dying, advance directive, advance care planning
  • Transplantation Law
  • Legal issues of infection prevention and vaccination
  • Financing issues of the health care system from a legal perspective

Born in 1967

Professional Background

  • Since April 2022 Professor at the Chair of Public Law with a focus on constitutional law and public commercial law at the University of Cologne and Director of the Institute of Constitutional Law at the University of Cologne
  • 2010-2022 Professor of Public Law, the Law on Social Economics and on Health (Chair of Public Law I) at the University of Bayreuth
  • 2007-2010 Professor of Law on Social Services and Facilities at the University of Kassel
  • 2001 Scientific Assistant at the Institute for Constitutional Law and at the Research Centre for Health Law at the University of Cologne, where he also completed his habilitation (venia legendi in Constitutional and Administrative Law, German and European Social Law and Public Commercial Law)
  • 2000-2001 Lawyer in Berlin
  • 1997-1999 Legal clerkship, partly at the Federal Constitutional Court
  • 1998 Doctorate at the Justus Liebig University Gießen
  • 1995-1997 Research Assistant at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tübingen, then scholarship of the postgraduate programme "Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities" at the Interdepartmental (now: International) Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW) of the University of Tübingen, funded by the German Research Foundation
  • 1989-1995 Study of Law in Tübingen and Leuven

Memberships

  • Since 2023 Member of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in Germany
  • Since April 2020 Member of the German Ethics Council
  • Since 2016 Advisor to the Commission for Society and Social Affairs (Commission VI) of the German Bishops' Conference
  • 2015-2022 Member of the "German Research Ombudsman" Committee appointed by the German Research Foundation (2016-2022 Spokesperson)
  • Since 2014 Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy in Munich
  • 2014-2018 Member of the expert committee "Youth and Family" of the German Association for Public and Private Welfare
  • 2012-2018 Member of the Commission for Research Integrity of the Austrian Agency for Research Integrity (since 2015 Chairman)
  • 2010-2014 Member of the expert committee "Social Policy, Social Security, Social Assistance" of the German Association for Public and Private Welfare

Publications (Selection)

  • Rixen, S. (2020): Gesundheitsschutz in der Coronavirus-Krise – Die (Neu-)Regelungen des Infektionsschutzgesetzes. In: Neue Juristische Wochenschrift, 16, 1097-1103.
  • Rixen, S. (2020): Suizidale Freiheit? Das Recht auf (assistierte) Selbsttötung im Urteil des Bundesverfassungsgerichts vom 26. Februar 2020. In: Bayerische Verwaltungsblätter, 397-403.
  • Rixen, S. (2020): Würde des Menschen als Fundament der Grundrechte. In: Heselhaus, F. S. M.; Nowak, C. (ed.): Handbuch der Europäischen Grundrechte (2nd edition). München, 337-357.
  • Rixen, S. (2017): Euthanasie oder Behandlungsabbruch? Die "Lambert"-Entscheidung des Europäischen Gerichtshofs für Menschenrechte vom 5. Juni 2015. In: Bormann, F.-J. (ed.): Lebensbeendende Handlungen. Ethik, Medizin und Recht zur Grenze von 'Töten' und 'Sterbenlassen'. Berlin; Boston, 683-699.
  • Rixen, S. (2015): Rechtliche Aspekte der vorausschauenden Behandlungsplanung (Advance Care Planning). In: Coors, M.;  Jox, R. J.; in der Schmitten, J. (ed.): Advance Care Planning. Von der Patientenverfügung zu gesundheitlichen Vorausplanung. Stuttgart, 164-180.
  • Rixen, S. (2014): Die Gewissensfreiheit der Gesundheitsberufe aus verfassungsrechtlicher Sicht. In: Bormann, F.-J.; Wetzstein, V. (ed.): Gewissen. Dimensionen eines Grundbegriffs medizinischer Ethik. Berlin, 65-88.
  • Rixen, S. (2011): Befugnisse und Grenzen des staatlichen Infektionsschutzrechts. In: Kloepfer, M. (ed.): Pandemien als Herausforderung für die Rechtsordnung. Baden-Baden, 67-84.
  • Rixen, S. (2005): Sozialrecht als öffentliches Wirtschaftsrecht – am Beispiel des Leistungserbringerrechts der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung. Tübingen.
  • Rixen, S. (1999): Lebensschutz am Lebensende. Das Grundrecht auf Leben und die Hirntodkonzeption – Zugleich ein Beitrag zur Autonomie rechtlicher Begriffsbildung. Berlin.
  • Höfling, W.; Rixen, S. (1996): Verfassungsfragen der Transplantationsmedizin. Tübingen.