Antoine-Nicolas-Joseph Ernst
In 1822, Antoine-Nicolas-Joseph Ernst, brother of Jean-Gérard-Joseph Ernst, became a professor at the University's Faculty of Law, becoming Rector in 1831-1832, succeeding Nicolas-Gabriel Ansiaux , who had taken over as Rector for the second time in 1830-1831. As Minister of Justice, he reinstated the death penalty.
Brother of Jean-Gérard-Joseph and like him born in Aubel, Antoine-Nicolas-Joseph Ernst (1796-1841) enrolled at the Brussels Law School, graduating in 1816. Following in his brother's footsteps, he was appointed Professor Extraordinaire at the University of Liège's Faculty of Law, and was promoted to the ordinariate in 1827.
In the early years of his career, he devoted most of his time to his teaching activities, teaching the commercial law course in the encyclopedia of law, elementary civil law and the Institutes of Roman law, for which he completely renewed the methods of approach.
After serving as Rector of the University from 1831 to 1832, he entered politics at a time of crisis following difficulties in implementing the Treaty of 24 Articles. Elected to the House by the district of Ruremonde for the 1833-1839 legislature, the liberal-minded Ernst joined the government in 1834. He was later criticized for having agreed to collaborate with the Catholic De Theux. Appointed Minister of Justice, he passed a law on the expulsion of foreigners in 1835, in which he attempted to limit the arbitrary nature of certain measures. However, it was under his mandate that the death penalty, virtually abolished from 1830 to 1834, was effectively reinstated in Belgium. In the Chamber of Deputies, he took part in the debates leading up to the adoption of the Organic Law on Education (1835), as well as in those settling the difficult relationship between the State and the Société Générale. Ernst was unhappy with the terms of the 24-Article Treaty, and resigned as minister shortly before the expiry of his mandate as a member of parliament, retiring from political life.
Appointed professor of law at the University of Louvain (1839), he returned to teaching the Institutes, but died prematurely in Germany two years later.
Go to : Jean-Charles Delvaux de Fenffe
Illustration: Antoine-N. -J. Ernst, photograph of the painting conserved àmaisoncommunale d'Aubel, s.d., Musée Wittert ULiège, inv. 22286.
