British, American, Chinese and Argentinean professors discuss collective processes at PUCRS
Dr Adalberto Pasqualotto | Photo: Bruno Todeschini
The Law School has welcomed professionals from the UK, US, China, Argentina and different parts of Brazil for the 1st International Congress of Collectivization and Mass Litigation. Coordinated by the professors of the Graduate Program in Law Dr Marco Félix Jobim and Dr Luis Alberto Reichelt, the event advanced the discussions on the legislation on collective processes and common practices in different countries.
At the opening discussion, Reichelt stressed the need to design more efficient tools in terms of the collective protection of rights. “This is an opportunity for us to create a better system, procedural laws for our country and take a leading position”, said he.
The coordinator of the Law School program, Dr Adalberto Pasqualotto, restressed the perspective of internationalization and integration of science for the benefit of mankind in the graduate program and at the School. In a week alone, the Law School hosted two major events and more than 10 international guests. “Is it possible to unify something that is collective? Is it possible to actually give a single significance to the collective demands that we can see in our country? This is our greatest challenge and the international guests show that the problems in the collectivization of rights are not restricted to our nation”, reflected he.
Dr Neil Andrews delivered the first lecture | Photo: Bruno Todeschini
The first lecture was delivered by the Law School professor of the University of Cambridge (UK), Dr Neil Andrews, who addressed mass torts in that country, using the doctrine of precedents. “This system assumes that the Supreme Court makes its decisions by a reliable process for case reports, which took centuries to be build”, said he. The civil justice and private law professor mentioned that the doctrine of precedents calls for a higher quality of the judicial system as well as more discipline from the other courts in following it. “If first degree courts could choose which precedent to follow without taking the doctrine of precedents in consideration, this would lead to anarchy and collapse”, commented he.
The event also featured lectures by Yulin FU, from the University of Peking (China), Francis McGovern, from Duke University (USA), Linda Mullenix, from University of Texas at Austin (USA) and Francisco Verbic, from Universidad Nacional de La Plata – UNLP (Argentina).
