Barnabé Brisson

Barnabé Brisson (Latinised: Barnabas Brissonius) (1531 – 15 November 1591) was a French jurist and politician.

Born as the son of the king's lieutenant in Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée, Brisson studied law in Orléans, Bourges and finally Poitiers, where he stayed on as an advocate. Between 1553 and 1556, he moved on to Paris, where he swiftly gained repute for his learning and rhetorical skills.

Charles IX named him Advocate General of the Parlement in 1573. His successor Henry III, put particular trust in Brisson, who was made first Fiscal in 1573, promoted to Président à mortier in 1580, appointed Sixth President of the Parlement in 1588 and entrusted with several diplomatical missions.

As the French Wars of Religion flamed up again, Brisson remained in Paris as the King fled the city on 16 January 1589. Next day, the Seize ("sixteen"), a group of League notables that now ruled Paris, installed Brisson as First President of the Parlement in replacement of Achille de Harlay. As a politique, Brisson sought to mediate between the warring factions. The Seize, however, soon began to mistrust him, because they considered him to remain loyal to Henry. Consequently, they had him sentenced to death by a special court and executed by hanging in 1591.

Brisson never held academic office. Despite this, he is – with Contius, Balduinus, Cujacius, Hotmannus and Donellus – among the group of 16th century French jurists that brought Humanist jurisprudence to its peak.

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