Ludwig A. Minelli was born in Zurich in 1932. He initially worked as a journalist, including as the first Swiss correspondent for SPIEGEL. After graduating from law school in 1981 Minelli specialized as a lawyer in human rights issues. The rulings of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court known as "Minelli I", "Minelli II", and "Minelli III" significantly contributed to improving the living conditions of prisoners.

In 1978 he founded the Swiss Society for the European Convention on Human Rights (SGEMKO), and in 1998 founded the association DIGNITAS, which not only advises severely suffering people and if necessary provides support in suicide, but is also involved in the prevention of suicide attempts, the enforcement of living wills, access to palliative care, etc. DIGNITAS also helps non-Swiss people, which triggered a broad international debate on euthanasia, and has members in 74 countries, especially in Germany, where DIGNITAS-Germany was founded in 2005.

Publications (selection):

• Der brave Soldat K.: Erlebnisse des Hptm. Kollbrunner im Aktivdienst (with Carl M. Holliger). Reich, Lucerne 1980
• Obszönes vor Bundesgericht. Die Rechtsprechung des Schweizerischen Bundesgerichtes zu Art. 204 des Schweizerischen Strafgesetzbuches. With 44 cartoons by Erich Gruber. Hecht, Zurich 1981
• Dina jagt ein Hosenbein. Erlebnisse einer Familie mit Tieren. Haupt, Berne 1990
• Übersicht über die Urteile des Europäischen Gerichtshofes für Menschenrechte 1960/1994. Forch 1995
• Reminiszenzen aus dem Leben eines Privatpolitikers. In: Hans Baumgartner, René Schuhmacher (ed.): Recht, Macht und Gesellschaft. Rio, Zürich 1995
• Das völkerrechtliche Verbot der Erhöhung von Studiengebühren oder der Einführung oder Wiedereinführung von Schulgeldern. Aktionskomitee gegen Mittelschulgelder, Forch 1996
• Das faire Verfahren nach Art. 6 EMRK (as co-author). Schmidt, Cologne 2005
• Scharf beobachtet - Ein Dritteljahrhundert EMRK-Praxis und die Schweiz (ed.). Dike, Zürich 2014