The research area Risk, Transparency and Litigiousness aims to implement the strategic project of UCILeR "Social challenges, uncertainty and law", in which vulnerability, plurality and undecidability were elected as research guidelines, in order to capture various interdisciplinary and transversal perspectives on societal challenges and the role of law.
The present research area focuses essentially on this last vector - undecidability - seeking, as general objectives, to provide answers to questions that still lack proper legislative treatment and to explore alternative approaches to problems that plague society and, thus, also Law.
At stake are, above all, the implications of the evolution of science and technology in various areas of law, through the study of scenarios of individual or collective risk to health, safety, the environment or cyberspace (connections with intellectual property, surrogate pregnancy, cybercrime and forensic investigation, etc.).
As specific objectives, this area aims to develop and disseminate knowledge on business issues and the new challenges faced by companies (globalisation and competitiveness, the digital environment, artificial intelligence, environmental and human rights protection requirements); on social issues related to new forms of identity and personal empowerment and social and family interaction (namely by reference to people with disabilities); and on environmental and related issues (particularly in the face of climate emergency, forest resilience and the enhancement of ecosystems).
Coordination: Maria João Antunes
Research Axes:
The purposes of this research area are to deepen, among others, the following topics:
- The capacity of the legal system to frame, regulate and support a competitive and sustainable exercise of business activity;
- Economic justice, analysing various procedural and procedural aspects of the actions of public and private entities;
- The relationship between risk and civil, penal and administrative responsibility;
- Forest protection and the reduction of rural fire risk;
- The valorisation of ecosystems and the promotion of environmental protection;
- Reflection on new forms of identity and personal empowerment and social and family interaction.
Projects
i. “ECI: From A to Z: European Citizens' Initiative: A Tool for Engagement and Active Citizenship” (Erasmus +).
ii. “EU-ADAPT: Adaptation of rights in rem in cross-border succession within EU” (JUST Action Grants to promote judicial cooperation in civil and criminal justice - H2020).
iii. House Refuge (FCT).
iv. INTERFACESEGURA (FCT).
v. FirEUrisk, (H2020).
vi. "PRI Alt Eur - Promoting non-discriminatory alternatives to imprisonment across Europe" (Justice Programme - JUST-JCOO-AG-2020).
vii. Project Artificial Intelligence and corporate criminality, approved by UCILeR as an exploratory project.
viii. Evacuar Floresta (FCT).
ix. Loss of Assets Project, approved by UCILeR as an exploratory project.
x. "Addressing gaps in the implementation and management of alternatives to imprisonment and post-release support during the COVID-19 global pandemic", (in Partnership with Penal Reform International).