Jean-Louis Duplat
Jean-Louis Duplat | |
|---|---|
| President of Child Focus | |
| In office 2007–2016 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer |
| Succeeded by | François Cornelis |
| President of the Belgian Banking Commission | |
| In office 1989–2001 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Van Gerven |
| Succeeded by | Eddy Wymeersch |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 May 1937 Uccle, Belgium |
| Died | 9 January 2026 (aged 88) Sint-Genesius-Rode. Belgium |
| Education | Université de Namur Catholic University of Louvain (LLD) |
| Occupation | Judge Lawyer |
Jean-Louis Duplat (30 May 1937 – 9 January 2026) was a Belgian judge and lawyer.[1]
Life and career
Born in Uccle on 30 May 1937, Duplat was the son of lawyer Jan Duplat and Yvonne Colson, and grew up in a bilingual Dutch-French household.[2] From 1957 to 1960, he studied at the Université de Namur and the Catholic University of Louvain, where he earned his Doctor of Laws.[3] In 1960, he joined the Barreau de Bruxelles and joined the public prosecutor's office. In October 1974, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Brussels, where he headed the financial section of the public prosecutor's office.[4] In 1978, he was named president of the Commercial Court, a position in which he rejected a bid by Carlo De Benedetti for a hostile takeover of the Société Générale de Belgique worth 20 billion Belgian francs.[5]
In 1989, Duplat succeeded Walter Van Gerven at the presidency of the Belgian Banking Commission, dealing with important cases such as the takeover of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits by Accor, the tender offer for Bank Brussels Lambert, and ABN AMRO's takeover of the Générale de Banque.[4] He was succeeded by Eddy Wymeersch in 2001. After his time on the court, he held various board positions, including at Omega Pharma and Brantano Footwear.[6] He also taught business law at the Université de Namur until 2005.[7] In 2007, he succeeded Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer as president of Child Focus,[3] and was replaced by François Cornelis in 2016.[7]
Duplat died in Sint-Genesius-Rode on 9 January 2026, at the age of 88.[8]
Decorations
- Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown
- Commander of the Order of Leopold
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
References
- ^ "Monsieur Jean-Louis DUPLAT" (PDF). AG-Funeral (in French).
- ^ "Scheidsrechters in overnamestrijd". De Standaard (in Dutch). 30 January 1988. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Jean-Louis Duplat, nouveau président de Child Focus". RTL Info (in French). 16 October 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b Ghislain, Nicolas (9 January 2026). "Jean-Louis Duplat, figure marquante du monde judiciaire et financier belge, est décédé". La Libre Belgique (in French). Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ Davignon, Étienne; Labaki, Maroun (2019). Etienne Davignon : souvenirs de trois vies (in French). Brussels: Racine. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ ""Plus utile qu'on le dit"". La Libre Belgique (in French). 16 May 2003. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b Dive, Alice; van Caloen, Ariane; Matgen, Jean-Claude (2 September 2017). "Jean-Louis Duplat, juriste émérite: "Attention de ne pas laisser moisir dans leur coin les magistrats des parquets financiers"". La Libre Belgique (in French). Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Passing of Mr. Jean-Louis Duplat, Honorary Chairman of the CBF". Financial Services and Markets Authority. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2026.