Archives: Events

Mart Susi: e-democracy and fundamental rights — the example of Estonia

The exercise of political rights by digital means looks inevitable in the near future. Currently, Estonia is arguably the nation with the most experience in this topic. We are as such delighted to host Prof. Dr. Mart Susi in our International Dialogues in Constitutional Law, for a lecture, followed by Q&A, titled E-democracy and fundamental rights: the example of Estonia. Mart Susi, Professor of Human Rights Law at Tallinn University, is the editor of the recently-published volume Digital Society, Human Rights and the Law (Routledge, 2019).

E-democracy and fundamental rights: the example of Estonia
MART SUSI
Tallinn University, Estonia
November 14, 10 am
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Main building, 1st-floor hall
Lecture, followed by Q&A

Alexander C. Fischer: Constitutional change in India – weak legislatures, strong courts

A central issue in contemporary constitutionalism is the relation between the judiciary and the legislature, and the notion of judicial activism is often front and foremost in this discussion. On October 8, our International Dialogues on Constitutional Law will host Prof. Dr. Alexander C. Fischer (Jindia Global Law School, India), who will give a lecture on this topic.

Constitutional change in India: weak legislatures, strong courts
ALEXANDER C. FISCHER
Jindal Global Law School, India
October 8, 10 am
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Main building, 1st-floor hall
Lecture, followed by Q&A

Photo of the Supreme Court of India: Pinakpani/Wikicommons.

Andrea Pozas: The case of Mexico’s constitutional hyper-reformism

Our International Dialogues on Constitutional Law is hosting Professor Andrea Pozas (UNAM). She is a leading scholar on comparative constitutional law in Latin America. Her lecture is titled “Understanding constitutional patterns: the case of Mexico’s hyper-reformism”.

Understanding constitutional patterns: the case of Mexico’s hyper-reformism
ANDREA POZAS LOYO
National Autonomous University of Mexico
May 29, 10 am
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Main building, auditório Ruy Barbosa Nogueira.
Lecture, followed by Q&A

Mattias Kumm: Rights adjudication under unfavorable political circumstances

Professor Mattias Kumm (NYU & Humboldt University of Berlin), one of the most influential voices on global constitutionalism and constitutional rights adjudication, will be our guest at the International Dialogues on Constitutional Law. His lecture is titled “Rights adjudication under unfavorable political circumstances: Dilemmas and coping doctrines”.

Rights adjudication under unfavorable political circumstances: Dilemmas and coping doctrines
MATTIAS KUMM
New York University, US & Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
May 31, 10 am
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Main building, auditório Ruy Barbosa Nogueira.
Lecture, followed by Q&A

Jeanette Hofmann: Digitalization and Democracy

Liberal democracies and the cyberspace are based on different concepts of “public space”, which were conceived within completely different frameworks. On May 23, Prof. Dr. Jeanette Hofmann (Alexander von Humbolt Institute for Internet and Society & Freie Universität Berlin) will join our International Dialogues in Constitutional Law series with her lecture “Digitalization and Democracy”. Professor Hofmann will among other things address the question how liberal democracies in Europe and Brazil can deal with challenges of the new digital public space, such as big data, scoring, fake news, bots, online political campaigns.

 

Digitalization and Democracy: How to strengthen Democracy in Brazil and Europe for the Digital Age?
JEANETTE HOFMANN
Alexander von Humbolt Institute for Internet and Society & Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
May 23, 10 am
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Main building, first-floor auditorium.
Lecture, followed by Q&A

This lecture is supported by:

Matthias Klatt: Constitution-conform interpretation

Mattias Klatt

Next week, we welcome back Prof. Dr. Matthias Klatt (University of Graz, Austria). Our guest in 2015, Klatt is a leading scholar on constitutional law and has authored a number of books both in English and German (such as his book The Constitutional Structure of Proportionality, Oxford University Press, 2012). He will join us again, this time for a lecture on constitution-conform interpretation.

Abstract

Many legal systems contain an explicit or implicit obligation to interpret the law in accordance with the constitution. What this obligation means, however, in the practice of legal argumentation differs widely between various legal systems. This paper engages in comparative analysis and addresses the problem of how constitution-conform interpretation can be justified. It discusses three different lines of argument for the legal-theoretical basis of constitution-conform interpretation (the assumption of constitutionality, the unity of the legal system, and the principle favor legis) and analyses the merits of the three most important counter-arguments against constitution-conform interpretation (its purported missing legal basis, its missing interpretative character, and the competence problem). Overall, constitution-conform interpretation is defended as a valid and powerful legal argument.

Constitution-conform interpretation
MATTHIAS KLATT
University of Graz, Austria
March 25, 10 am
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Main building, first-floor auditorium.
Lecture, followed by Q&A

Linda Greenhouse: The US Supreme Court’s challenge to civil society

Linda Greenhouse, the Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School, will open our International Dialogues in Constitutional Law in 2019. For 30 years, Greenhouse, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, reported on the US Supreme Court for the New York Times. Now teaching at Yale, she is a prominent commentator of the Court.

The US Supreme Court’s challenge to civil society
LINDA GREENHOUSE
Yale University, USA
March 13, 10 am
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Main building, first-floor auditorium.
Lecture, followed by Q&A

David Dyzenhaus: The Compulsion of Legality and Its Cycles

For our last event this year, we are joined by David Dyzenhaus, who will be closing our International Dialogues in Constitutional Law in 2018. Our event is part of a series of three lectures organised by with PET Sociologia Jurídica (under the department of legal theory, DFD), marking 50 years since the enactment of one of the most authoritarian legal tools in Brazilian history, Ato Institucional 5.

The Compulsion of Legality and its Cycles: virtuous or vicious?
DAVID DYZENHAUS
University of Toronto, Canada
December 12, 10 am
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Historical building, second floor, auditório Ruy Barbosa Nogueira
Lecture followed by Q&A

Dieter Grimm: What exactly is political about constitutional adjudication

The standard question in connection with constitutional adjudication is whether constitutional courts or supreme courts with constitutional jurisdiction are legal or political institutions and whether judicial review is a legal or a political activity. Academics are not less interested in it than the general public. However, the answers to the question differ considerably among the disciplines.

On 26 November 2018, Dieter Grimm, from the Institute of Advanced Studies in Berlin and former judge of the German Constitutional Court will join us to discuss what exactly is political about constitutional adjudication.

What exactly is political about constitutional adjudication?
Dieter Grimm
Institute of Advanced Studies in Berlin, former judge of the German Constitutional Court
26 November 2018, 10 a.m.
University of Sao Paulo Law School, Auditorium First Floor (Historical Building)

Dieter Grimm’s lecture is supported by the Maria Sibylla Merian Centre Conviviality-Inequality in Latin America – Mecila

Susanne Baer: Who protects your fundamental rights?

On 14 November 2018, Justice Baer, who serves at the German Federal Constitutional Court as a Justice of the First Senate, will discuss the status and value of constitutional law in a world in which societies face a multitude of challenges. All of us, as well as courts need to react properly to fast economic, social and cultural change that affects everyone’s lives. In addition, national constitutional law needs to be actively embedded into regional and international legal systems. Finally, recent challenges to the rule of law and democracy in Europe call for proper reactions of constitutional and supreme courts in particular.

Who Protects Your Fundamental Rights? Constitutionalism in the 21st Century — a German Perspective
Susanne Baer
German Constitutional Court and Humboldt University Berlin
14 November 2018, 10 a.m.
Largo de São Francisco, 95. Historical building, first-floor auditorium.

Susanne Baer’s lecture is supported by the Law School of the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, the German Embassy in Brazil and by the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq).