He was born in Mexico City in 1924. He obtained a law degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) [National Autonomous University of Mexico], where he later earned his PhD. He became a professor of Derecho de Amparo  in the Facultad de Derecho  [Amparo Law Professor at the Faculty of Law], and director of the Instituto de Derecho Comparado [Institute of Comparative Law], today’s Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas [Institute of Juridical Research] of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) [National Autonomous University of Mexico] itself. He currently holds the post of Investigador Titular Emérito [Incumbent Emeritus Researcher] at the Institute and also at the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (SNI) [National Researcher System].

He is one of the most renowned lawyers due to his extensive national and international career in areas such as Constitutional Law and Human Rights. He has furthered independence of the Judicial Branch and self-government of the Courts System. His thesis on procuring fast and opportune attention to Human Rights has been leading edge and a pioneering example throughout Latin America. He is acclaimed and admired for a research and teaching career that has earned for him a place as one of the most respected law professors of in Latin America.

He is a former president of the Instituto Iberoamericano de Derecho Constitucional [Iberian-American Institute of Constitutional Law]. He is a member of several national and international scientific societies. He served in many posts in the Federal Judicial Branch, to which he belonged for nineteen years. He was appointed a member of El Colegio Nacional [The National College]. He belonged to the Junta de Gobierno [Governing Board] of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) [National Autonomous University of Mexico]. Juez y Presidente de la Corte Iberoaméricana de Derechos Humanos [Judge and President of the Iberian-American Court of Human Rights] in San Jose, Costa Rica. He is a Member of the Consejo Consultivo de Ciencias de la Presidencia de la República (CCC) [Science Consulting Council of the President’s Office].

He has received the Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes [National Award for Science and Arts]; the 1986 UNESCO Prize; the Presea del Estado de México “José María Luis Mora” the [“José María Luis Mora” Medal of the State of Mexico]; He also received the Premio Universidad Nacional en Investigación en Ciencias Sociales the [National University Prize for Social Sciences Research]. The Universidad de Colima, de Sevilla and Externado de Colombia [The Universities of Colima, Seville and Externado of Colombia] have all granted him a Doctor Honoris Causa degree; Dr. Fix Zamudio has been honored also with the Premio Nacional de Jurisprudencia de la Barra Mexicana de Abogados [National Jurisprudence Prize of the Mexican Bar Association]; Medalla de Oro por el Senado por los ochenta años de la Constitución [Gold Medal from the Senate commemorating the Eightieth Anniversary of Mexico’s Constitution]; the Medalla Belisario Domínguez del Senado de la República [the Belisario Domínguez Medal granted by the Mexican Senate].

To honor him the Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas established the Premio Internacional de Investigación en Derecho “Héctor Fix-Zamudio” [The Institute of Legal Research established the “Hector Fix-Zamudio” International Award for Legal Research].

He has published dozens of articles in national and foreign journals and 14 books, some of them classic and required reading, such as “El Juicio de Amparo” [The Amparo Trial]; “Veinticinco Años de la Evolución de la Justicia Constitucional” [Twenty-five years of evolution of Constitutional Justice]; “Constitución y Proceso Civil en Latinoamérica” [Constitution and Civil Procedures in Latin America]; “Latinoamérica: Constitución, Proceso y Derechos Humanos” [Latin America: Constitution, Procedures and Human Rights]; “Ensayos Sobre Derecho de Amparo” [Essays on the Amparo Law].