Hanspeter Thür, born 1949, studied law at the University of Basel and is an attorney in canton Aargau. He worked as a clerk of court before opening his own law practice. Hanspeter Thür served as a member of the National Council for the Green Party between 1987 and 1999. Since September 2001 he has been Federal Data Protection Commissioner, a role expanded mid-2006 to include access to information.