He was the director of the book "Cortes y Constitución de Cádiz. 200 Years", promoted by the Rafael del Pino Foundation on the occasion of the Bicentenary of the Cortes and the Constitution of Cadiz. The work was presented at the Cádiz City Hall on 25 March of the same year.
He holds a PhD in Law from the Complutense University of Madrid with Extraordinary Prize. He studied for two years in Germany (Universities of Bonn, Cologne Göttingen) and Austria (University of Vienna). He also spent a year in England (London School of Economics and Political Science).
In 1970-71 he was a Ford Foundation Visiting Professor at the American Universities of Wisconsin, Berkeley, Harvard and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He has been Professor of History of Law at the Faculties of Law of San Sebastián, Extremadura, Alcalá de Henares, Complutense de Madrid and UNED, where he was also Emeritus Professor. He has been Dean of the Faculty of Law in San Sebastian, and Secretary General and Vice-Chancellor of the Menéndez Pelayo International University in Santander.
Founder and first Director of the El Escorial Summer Courses. Founder and Director at the Complutense University of Madrid of the Institute for the History of the Inquisition (1984-2002) and Founder and Director of the Institute for the History of Intolerance, attached to the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation. He has also been Honorary Professor at the Universidad Nacional de San Marcos (Peru).
Member of the International Institute for the History of Indian Law. Member of the Bureau of the International Association for the History of Law and Director of the Yearbook of the History of Spanish Law. Full member of the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation. Member of the Colegio Libre de Eméritos. Medal of Honour of the Complutense University. Doctor Honoris Causa by the Universities of Messina (Italy), Elche and San Pablo-CEU.
Has served as a senator for UCD in the first democratic legislature. Chairman of the Senate Education and Culture Committee and Member of the RTVE Administration Committee. Member of the European Parliament between 1987 and 1999. Winner of the Menéndez Pelayo Prize for Historical Research awarded by the Spanish National Research Council (1965).
He has been awarded the National History Prize three times: in 1969 for his work The Secretaries of State and of the Office(4 volumes); in 1979 by The origins of the Council of Ministers in Spain (2 volumes) and in 2009 by The King. History of the Monarchy (3 volumes).
He is currently President of the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation, Vice-President of the Institute of Spain and ex officio Councillor of the Council of State.
Author of numerous publications on the History of Law, the State and the Inquisition.
Elected (med. 189) on 4 February 2000; sworn in on 3 March 2002.