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Public Presentation of the Book “Citizen Initiatives as Instruments of Democracy” On the afternoon of May 14, the public presentation of the book “Citizen Initiatives as Instruments of Democracy” was held at the José Saramago Library, Polytechnic of Leiria. The book is coordinated by Mário Simões Barata, Ângelo Abrunhosa (both from the Polytechnic of Leiria), and Dora Resende Alves (Universidade Portucalense). The session featured a presentation by Professor Maria Manuela Magalhães Silva, Director of the IJP and author of the book’s preface.

The 3rd edition of the Young Scholars International Conference on Enterprise Law (YSICEL) took place on the morning of May 14, featuring early-career researchers presenting their work across various fields of business law. The event was organized by the Leiria Branch of the IJP.

On May 14, the IJP joined other UPT departments and units for the roundtable “Raising Awareness for Ocean and Marine Heritage”, an initiative linked to the European Maritime Day (May 25). The event promoted reflection on key themes such as marine governance, environmental education, international cooperation for sustainable development, marine biodiversity protection, the blue economy, and the preservation of natural and cultural maritime heritage. Image Accordion #1 Image Accordion #2 Image Accordion Content Goes Here! Click edit button to change this text.

As part of the Europe Day celebrations, the conference The Role of Regions in European Integration took place on May 9, hosted by Universidade Portucalense, the Law Department, and the IJP, in partnership with the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia in Portugal. Guest speakers included: Agustí Fernández de Losada Passols (Secretary for European Affairs, Multilateral Relations and Development Cooperation – Government of Catalonia), António M. Cunha (President of the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission), Luís Nobre (President of the Euroregion Eixo Atlântico and Mayor of Viana do Castelo), Rafael Barbosa (Deputy Director of Jornal de Notícias), Paulo Silva (President of the Association of Paredes for Social Inclusion), Pedro Ponte e Sousa, Pascoal Pereira (faculty members at Universidade Portucalense), and Giuliano G. Braga Braga (faculty member at the University of Minho).

Conference – “Human Rights and Reproductive Health: Current Ethical and Legal Dilemmas” On May 20, the Leiria Branch of the Instituto Jurídico Portucalense (IJP) will host the conference “Human Rights and Reproductive Health: Current Ethical and Legal Dilemmas”. The event, held in hybrid format, is co-organized with the Department of Legal Sciences and the Nursing undergraduate program of the School of Health, Polytechnic of Leiria. This initiative aims to foster critical reflection on the ethical and legal challenges currently shaping reproductive rights, while highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue between Law and Health in defending fundamental rights. Registration is free and available at the following link.

Revista Jurídica Portuguesa is now in the Ibero-American top 10. It has joined Scopus Q1 The Revista Jurídica Portucalense (RJP) was recently ranked in the 1st quartile (Q1) in the field of Law by Scopus, according to the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) indicator. This classification places RJP among the top-performing legal journals internationally (above at least 75% of others in its category), now ranking in the top 10 Ibero-American law journals with the highest impact factor. The rise from Q3 in 2023 to Q1 in 2024 reflects the consistent and rigorous work of its editorial team, authors, and reviewers. As a fully open-access journal with no publication fees, RJP is consolidating its role as a platform of excellence for legal research and strengthening the international visibility of both the IJP and UPT.

The 2nd International Symposium on Human Rights and Citizenship is a joint initiative between Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique (UPT – Portugal) and Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS – Brazil), consolidating an academic partnership that has lasted for over a decade. For this second edition, which will take place on 1st and 2nd July 2025, the chosen theme is “Human Rights in Crisis? Tensions between Global Challenges and Local Contexts”, reflecting contemporary issues that challenge the guarantee of Human Rights in a scenario marked by rising inequalities, political crises, climate emergencies, and democratic setbacks in various parts of the world. Abstract submissions will be accepted until 30th May 2025. For further information and guidance on submitting proposals, please visit the Symposium website:

Instituto Jurídico Portucalense (IJP) will be a partner in the 1st International Congress on Law, Technology, and Social Transformations, organized by PUC Minas. The event, taking place from March 31 to April 2 in both in-person and online formats, will bring together experts to discuss the impacts of artificial intelligence, technological innovations, land regularization, and cultural heritage in law. The IJP Director, along with researchers from the institution, will take part in the congress, contributing to discussions on the challenges and opportunities of law in the digital age. Registration, full program, and more information

Researchers from the Politics and International Governance group at IJP – Portucalense Legal Institute participated in the Portuguese Political Science Association (APCP) Congress, held at Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa from March 6 to 8, 2025. In the panel “The Role of International Organizations in the Normative Consolidation of Human Rights”, Suhayla Viana de Castro presented the paper “O direito à privacidade como direito humano e o sistema de proteção das Nações Unidas: uma análise do papel do Comitê de Direitos Humanos da ONU”. Pascoal Santos Pereira addressed “Direitos das minorias nacionais: o papel normativo do Alto-Comissário da OSCE para as Minorias Nacionais e a sua evolução”, while Rui Garrido analyzed “Diplomacia para os Direitos Humanos da União Africana: uma análise a partir dos Golpes de Estado na região do Sahel”.

The Leiria Branch of the Instituto Jurídico Portucalense (IJP) invites you to the Call for Papers for the 3rd edition of the Young Scholars International Conference on Enterprise Law, which will take place on 14 May 2025. The event is especially aimed at master’s and doctoral students, as well as young researchers (up to five years after completing their academic degree), with the aim of promoting scientific research and encouraging the participation of young academics in the dissemination of knowledge in the various areas of business law. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 31 March 2025. For registration and more information, check the event website: https://ysicel.ipleiria.pt/