Juliano Z Benvindo | Universidade de Brasília - UnB (original) (raw)

Papers by Juliano Z Benvindo

Social Science Research Network, Nov 1, 2015

Joshua Braver’s intriguing and fascinating paper “Revolutionary Reform in Venezuela: Electoral Ru... more Joshua Braver’s intriguing and fascinating paper “Revolutionary Reform in Venezuela: Electoral Rules and Historical Narratives in the Creation of the 1999 Constitution” provides a thorough analysis of the recent constitutional reality in Venezuela, showing how, had the Venezuelan Supreme Court and Congress directly participated in the definition of the electoral rules for the creation of 1999 Constitution, a “revolutionary reform” would have been possible. By recalling the non-foundational feature of constitutional democracy, this paper comments on Braver’s article to argue that, whereas constitutionalism has an inherent seduction, it is also limited by the very historically contingent process of social life. As such, the “make-beliefs” constitutionalism holds have to face the reality, and, in this case, a reality of a country historically marked by semi-authoritarian practices. In this complex scenario, the dilemmas and paradoxes of constitutionalism are pushed to their very extremes. This paper, while agreeing with Braver’s understanding of how Venezuela has lost sight of constitutionalism, sees that any conclusion in this matter must be intertwined with perspectives of economic development. It concludes that Braver’s article, even though seduced by constitutionalism, is an excellent wake-up call for understanding that constitutional democracy is only possible in its very impossibility.

is usually depicted as a region whose democracies are fragile, 1 where political and economic ins... more is usually depicted as a region whose democracies are fragile, 1 where political and economic instability has long spurred institutional breakdowns, 2 and where constitutions are replaced at an unusually rapid pace. 3 In the popular imagination, the region ' s hallmarks include coups, dictatorships, guerilla movements, persistent authoritarian legacies, deep social inequality and corruption infi ltrating all branches of government, but the most well-known may be the regularity of constitutional change. As Peter Smith has observed, ' there were 155 regime changes over the 101-year period from 1900 through 2000-a rate of 1.53 per year '. 4 Consider some examples. Th e Dominican Republic has had 34 constitutions. Venezuela has had 26 constitutions so far, and Ecuador is not too far behind: the 2008 Constitution was its twentieth. Since their independence, Latin American countries have written, in total, 197 constitutions, most of them from 1900 onwards, although this pace has waned in the last decades (from 1978 to 2017, there have been 18 new constitutions in the region). 5 Th e constitutional amendment rate is also high, though it does not diff er much from most established

International Journal of Constitutional Law

The Covid-19 health emergency has placed special demands on legal scholars, particularly on those... more The Covid-19 health emergency has placed special demands on legal scholars, particularly on those based in the Global South. Brazil has been one of the epicenters of the pandemic, with over 680,000 deaths as of August 2022. Our narrative emerges from the duality of our positions amid a national tragedy—we are at the same time survivors of the collective threat of a would-be autocrat and a Covid-19-denialist government, and witnesses to how our preexisting privileges put us in a position of readiness “to speak truth to power.” Speaking truth to power means not only to exercise an independent spirit of analysis and judgment with respect to power, but also to interpellate power openly about its wrongdoings. We understand that our responsibility as legal scholars is to embrace the urgency of the moment—to expand our research agendas beyond our previous academic trajectories and work to mitigate situations of rights violations. It also means that our work as legal scholars has had to tra...

Foram muitas as pessoas que colaboraram para minha formação acadêmica cuja materialização, por ho... more Foram muitas as pessoas que colaboraram para minha formação acadêmica cuja materialização, por hora, consiste neste trabalho de conclusão de curso. Aos primeiros, meus genitores, devo agradecer pelo incondicional apoio durante a minha caminhada universitária. Sem eles, provavelmente, eu não me compreenderia da forma como hoje sou. Aos meus demais familiares, pelo carinho e conforto, tão necessários para minha formação enquanto ser humano. À minha doce filha, Melissa, que auxiliou em meu crescimento pessoal e em meu amadurecimento. Esta pequena, que já nasceu em meio às discussões jurídicas da academia, foi meu pilar e minha meta quando o cansaço fazia parecer que o fim deste trabalho era apenas uma meta (muito) distante. Aos meus colegas da UnB, pelas críticas e momentos de descontração, e aos meus pares do grupo de pesquisa Controle de Constitucionalidade e Direitos Fundamentais que foram essenciais para o amadurecimento das idéias presentes no estudo, além das contribuições nas publicações de meus artigos e nos questionamentos dos capítulos desenvolvidos. E, finalmente, aos meus professores da Universidade, que me formaram enquanto aluna e que me mostraram o caminho da luz.

Social Science Research Network, Sep 26, 2017

Revista de Investigações Constitucionais, Sep 5, 2018

Pensar, Jun 15, 2012

Os fundamentos dos direitos fundamentais? quando o antifundacionalismo de Rorty enfrenta o agir c... more Os fundamentos dos direitos fundamentais? quando o antifundacionalismo de Rorty enfrenta o agir comunicativo de Habermas The fundamentals of human rights? when rorty's anti-foundationalism faces Habermas's communicative action Juliano Zaiden Benvindo * Resumo O debate sobre o universalismo dos direitos humanos promove diretamente o questionamento a respeito dos fundamentos no direito. Em que medida se pode afirmar a necessidade de haver fundamentos no direito? E qual alternativa se poderia antever a esse problema? Nesse contexto, o antifundacionalismo de Richard Rorty e a tensão entre facticidade e validade de Jürgen Habermas levam à compreensão dos próprios limites do transcendentalismo no plano dos direitos humanos. Do mesmo modo, revelam que, desse confronto de perspectivas teóricas, surge a própria afirmação da alteridade como condição do direito. A alteridade contra a metafísica jurídica aparece como o recado que expõe que a noção de fundamento é complexa e pode ser ela própria, paradoxalmente, base para o pensamento pós-metafísico no direito.

Revista Derecho del Estado, Apr 28, 2022

Some constitutional changes are constitutional amendments in name alone. These unusual constituti... more Some constitutional changes are constitutional amendments in name alone. These unusual constitutional changes dismantle the basic structure of the constitution while at the same time building a new foundation rooted in principles contrary to the old. They are self-conscious efforts to repudiate the essential characteristics of the constitution and to destroy its foundations. We should not understand changes on this scale as mere amendments. They are better understood as constitutional dismemberments. These constitutional changes disassemble one or more of the constitution’s elemental parts by altering a fundamental right, a load-bearing structural design, or a core aspect of the identity of the constitution. In this article, we draw from three jurisdictions in Latin America—Brazil, Chile, and Colombia—to illustrate this phenomenon, to expose its variations, and to suggest that it entails serious implications.

Social Science Research Network, Mar 1, 2018

Marquette Law Review, 2015

Bruce Ackerman's influential theory of "dualist democracy" posits that in American history some e... more Bruce Ackerman's influential theory of "dualist democracy" posits that in American history some extraordinary moments of constitutionmaking are "constitutional moments," distinguishable from other periods of ordinary lawmaking. What is missing from the Ackermanian account of constitutional moments, however, is a deeper appreciation of the nature of popular protests, specifically that they may sometimes constitute the core of a constitutional moment, but on other occasions, they may serve as a very different inflection point in the evolution of a constitutional democracy. Up until now, the legal literature has not devoted much attention to such application of Ackerman's theory. In this Article, I refine the theory of constitutional moments by drawing from some relevant mass protests around the world-"Occupy Wall Street" in the

Social Science Research Network, 2014

RESUMO: a doutrina constitucional brasileira do final do século XX e início do século XXI revelou... more RESUMO: a doutrina constitucional brasileira do final do século XX e início do século XXI revelou um fascínio pela principiologia e ponderação. Atribui-se o enfraquecimento do caráter normativo da Constituição ao discurso jurídico-axiológico das Cortes Constitucionais, cujos ministros praticariam uma teologia constitucional ao deduzirem diretamente do texto todos os valores e comportamentos corretos. Porém, assim como no Direito, verifica-se na teologia uma preocupação constante com os métodos de interpretação dos textos sagrados, de maneira que resulta impossível reduzir sua rica experiência hermenêutica à jurisprudência de valores. Para ilustrar o argumento, será explorado o debate sobre a leitura da Torá e do Corão, com o fim de evidenciar os distintos métodos interpretativos possíveis. Em segundo lugar, a análise recairá sobre a história constitucional americana, sobretudo no que diz respeito à relação entre interpretação e emenda e ao papel hermenêutico da Suprema Corte, para que, na conclusão, possam ser traçados paralelos entre a interpretação da Torá, do Corão e da Constituição. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Corão. Emenda constitucional. Hermenêutica constitucional. Torá. ABSTRACT: The Brazilian constitutional literature of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century revealed a fascination for principles and for weighting. The weakening of the normative character of the Constitution was attributed to the legal-axiological discourse of Constitutional Courts, whose justices would practice a constitutional theology to deduct directly from the text all the correct values and behaviors. However, as it is in Law, there is a constant concern in theology about the methods of interpretation of sacred texts that makes impossible to reduce its rich hermeneutical experience to a jurisprudence of values. To illustrate the argument, we will explore the debate over the reading of the Torah and of the Koran, in order to show the different possible interpretive methods. Secondly, we will focus on American constitutional history, especially in regard to the relationship between interpretation and amendment and to the hermeneutical role of the Supreme Court, so that, in

Revista de Investigações Constitucionais, Sep 5, 2018

Brasileira de 1988 e seus fantasmas do passado: comparação, história e a sempre presente necessid... more Brasileira de 1988 e seus fantasmas do passado: comparação, história e a sempre presente necessidade de lutar contra o autoritarismo

As long as balancing appears as a fundamental instrument of this new constitutionalism where the ... more As long as balancing appears as a fundamental instrument of this new constitutionalism where the constitutional court plays the role of “Guardian of the Constitution” through the interpretation of subjective rights as though they were objective principles of the total legal order, the aim to rationalize it appears as an immediate consequence. Rationality, accordingly, relates to the purpose of providing decisions that could best fulfill the exigency of legitimacy. In this regard, Robert Alexy’s Special Case Thesis and Theory of Constitutional Rights are clear examples of this connection, first, between morality and law, and, second, between balancing and rationality. Since, for Alexy, legal discourse is a special case of general practical discourse, and balancing, through the Weight Formula and the definition of preference relations, can provide rationality in decision-making, the main question is how to apply, in constitutional adjudication, this vast field of argumentation according to the premise of “unity of practical reason” without sacrificing the consistency of the system of rights. The relationship between constitutional court’s activism, particularly the Bundesverfassungsgericht, and balancing seems to adequately links this dilemma to Alexy’s premises. Yet, it also reveals that this debate on rationality, as Alexy’s defends it, should be challenged by new questions.

Novos Estudos - Cebrap, Apr 1, 2018

O avanço das cortes constitucionais como loci privilegiados dos debates políticos tem ensejado um... more O avanço das cortes constitucionais como loci privilegiados dos debates políticos tem ensejado uma farta literatura no direito constitucional comparado. Com base na análise comparada com a suprema corte mexicana, este artigo sustenta que a fragmentação política no Brasil tem impactado a conquista de espaço crescente do stf, confirmando que, para analisar a atuação política de supremas cortes, é preciso entender como compromissos sociopolíticos são alcançados. PALAvRAs-ChAve: fragmentação política; separação de poderes; tribunais constitucionais; cortes supremas.

Revista Jurídica da Presidência, Jan 28, 2015

Portuguese Abstract: Tao importante quanto compreender o sistema de direitos que uma sociedade ad... more Portuguese Abstract: Tao importante quanto compreender o sistema de direitos que uma sociedade adota e entender os processos implicitos que funcionam por tras desse sistema. O artigo concentra-se em desmistificar esses processos ocultos com relacao ao ins- tituto do aborto por estupro, relacionando-o ao Projeto de Lei no 478/2007, mais conhecido como Estatuto do Nascituro. O artigo procura destrinchar certos discursos e preconceitos, em especial no âmbito legislativo, procurando suas razoes veladas. Quer-se entender os verdadeiros mecanismos sociais que se relacionam com o di- reito ao aborto em casos de estupro e com a autonomia feminina em relacao ao seu corpo. O artigo tambem visa discutir nao apenas o papel da violencia, mas tambem suas fontes. A violencia nao vem apenas do estuprador, mas de todo discurso social, religioso e legislativo que permanece na premissa da exclusao da outra.English Abstract: As important as understanding the system of rights in a society is to comprehend the implicit processes beneath this system. This article aims to demys- tify these concealed processes related to abortion after rape, using thereby the Bra- zilian Bill of the Unborn Child (Bill no 478/2007) as an example. For this purpose, it thoroughly analyzes certain discourses and prejudices, especially in the legal arena, in order to unfold their veiled reasons. It targets at understanding the real social mechanisms connected to the legal right to abortion in cases of rape as well as to women’s autonomy over their body. This article also fosters the debate over not only the role of violence itself, but also its sources, naturally not restricted to the rapist, reaching instead many nuances of social, religious and legal discourses which are based on the premise of excluding the Other.

Revista da Faculdade de Direito UFPR, Aug 31, 2014

RESUMO: a doutrina constitucional brasileira do final do século XX e início do século XXI revelou... more RESUMO: a doutrina constitucional brasileira do final do século XX e início do século XXI revelou um fascínio pela principiologia e ponderação. Atribui-se o enfraquecimento do caráter normativo da Constituição ao discurso jurídico-axiológico das Cortes Constitucionais, cujos ministros praticariam uma teologia constitucional ao deduzirem diretamente do texto todos os valores e comportamentos corretos. Porém, assim como no Direito, verifica-se na teologia uma preocupação constante com os métodos de interpretação dos textos sagrados, de maneira que resulta impossível reduzir sua rica experiência hermenêutica à jurisprudência de valores. Para ilustrar o argumento, será explorado o debate sobre a leitura da Torá e do Corão, com o fim de evidenciar os distintos métodos interpretativos possíveis. Em segundo lugar, a análise recairá sobre a história constitucional americana, sobretudo no que diz respeito à relação entre interpretação e emenda e ao papel hermenêutico da Suprema Corte, para que, na conclusão, possam ser traçados paralelos entre a interpretação da Torá, do Corão e da Constituição. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Corão. Emenda constitucional. Hermenêutica constitucional. Torá. ABSTRACT: The Brazilian constitutional literature of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century revealed a fascination for principles and for weighting. The weakening of the normative character of the Constitution was attributed to the legal-axiological discourse of Constitutional Courts, whose justices would practice a constitutional theology to deduct directly from the text all the correct values and behaviors. However, as it is in Law, there is a constant concern in theology about the methods of interpretation of sacred texts that makes impossible to reduce its rich hermeneutical experience to a jurisprudence of values. To illustrate the argument, we will explore the debate over the reading of the Torah and of the Koran, in order to show the different possible interpretive methods. Secondly, we will focus on American constitutional history, especially in regard to the relationship between interpretation and amendment and to the hermeneutical role of the Supreme Court, so that, in

Springer eBooks, 2010

The historical development of the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) ... more The historical development of the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) and its progressive assumption of the role of “Guardian of the Constitution” through the interpretation of basic rights as objective principles of the total legal order represent a crucial movement in the contemporary constitutionalism. Particularly because of its inclination towards the definition and discussion of the main themes of social life, as if they were constitutional problems to be decided by the court, and the construction of instruments and interpretations, such as the principle of proportionality and the shift from subjective principles to objective principles, the Bundesverfassungsgericht is an important representative of the current worldwide judicial activism. The historical context of an emerging constitutional court after the Second World War and the consequent process of democratization where there was a vacuum of political legitimacy led to the transference of the discussion of many social themes to this court, raising thereby serious questions about a possible encroachment on the other institutional powers. In this respect, the transformations in German constitutional culture, the reactions of relevant part of constitutional scholarship, and the perception of the problems originating from this movement expose the connections between balancing and judicial activism, and demonstrate how constitutional democracy deals with the dilemmas of a process of juridification of politics.

Springer eBooks, 2010

The aim to rationalize balancing seems to follow this movement towards the juridification of poli... more The aim to rationalize balancing seems to follow this movement towards the juridification of politics. Robert Alexy’s defense of rationality is a relevant source to grasp how this process could be legitimately justified according to some predetermined rules and formulas. Yet, his theory poses some necessary questions and possibly leads to the question of whether there is a metaphysical standpoint behind his central premises. In this respect, to challenge Alexy’s premises with Jacques Derrida’s complex, fascinating and powerful philosophy is an interesting and instigating theme, insofar as his deconstruction leads to an incessant questioning of all our beliefs and certainties. There cannot be a metaphysical standpoint behind our activities, for this results in the forgetfulness of the other’s otherness, and there cannot be a logos behind the dualism between law and justice, for this culminates in the practice of violence with ground, and thus injustice. For this reason, it is necessary to verify whether Alexy’s claims to correctness, rationality and legitimacy are not metaphysically justified, and, if they are, which are the consequences they bring about to constitutional democracy. Particularly, as long as the principle of separation of powers is a fundamental issue here, the problem of the legitimacy of balancing through Alexy’s idea of an “argumentative representation” must face the question of “who are the people?” in order to show the risks of a possible construction of a substantive comprehension of democracy in this process. It is here where iterability, undecidability, autoimmunity, and responsibility in the negotiation between constitutionalism and democracy and between law and justice demonstrate their critical potential towards the other’s otherness, and hence towards doing justice to the case.

Springer eBooks, 2010

Robert Alexy’s defense of the rationality of balancing is associated with the premise that this p... more Robert Alexy’s defense of the rationality of balancing is associated with the premise that this procedure is indispensable in the current constitutionalism, for the very nature of principles, interpreted as optimization requirements, leads necessarily to the exigency of deploying it. However, insofar as it seems that there is a metaphysical standpoint behind Alexy’s view, the question shifts to the need to develop a possible alternative to balancing, one that best reconciles the exigency of rational justification with legal certainty. In this regard, the claim to coherence may be the point of a departure of this discussion, as long as, by placing Alexy’s idea of coherence side by side with Klaus Gunther’s differentiation between discourses of justification and discourses of application, Ronald Dworkin’s integrity in law, and Jurgen Habermas’s proceduralist approach, it is possible to provide a robust response to the indeterminacy of law within the context of complex, post-conventional and plural societies. Moreover, through this response, justified in the premise of a dualism between facts and norms in decision-making, the metaphysics embedded in Alexy’s thinking can be disclosed, and the problems emerging from the deployment of balancing through an axiological viewpoint, attacked.

Social Science Research Network, Nov 1, 2015

Joshua Braver’s intriguing and fascinating paper “Revolutionary Reform in Venezuela: Electoral Ru... more Joshua Braver’s intriguing and fascinating paper “Revolutionary Reform in Venezuela: Electoral Rules and Historical Narratives in the Creation of the 1999 Constitution” provides a thorough analysis of the recent constitutional reality in Venezuela, showing how, had the Venezuelan Supreme Court and Congress directly participated in the definition of the electoral rules for the creation of 1999 Constitution, a “revolutionary reform” would have been possible. By recalling the non-foundational feature of constitutional democracy, this paper comments on Braver’s article to argue that, whereas constitutionalism has an inherent seduction, it is also limited by the very historically contingent process of social life. As such, the “make-beliefs” constitutionalism holds have to face the reality, and, in this case, a reality of a country historically marked by semi-authoritarian practices. In this complex scenario, the dilemmas and paradoxes of constitutionalism are pushed to their very extremes. This paper, while agreeing with Braver’s understanding of how Venezuela has lost sight of constitutionalism, sees that any conclusion in this matter must be intertwined with perspectives of economic development. It concludes that Braver’s article, even though seduced by constitutionalism, is an excellent wake-up call for understanding that constitutional democracy is only possible in its very impossibility.

is usually depicted as a region whose democracies are fragile, 1 where political and economic ins... more is usually depicted as a region whose democracies are fragile, 1 where political and economic instability has long spurred institutional breakdowns, 2 and where constitutions are replaced at an unusually rapid pace. 3 In the popular imagination, the region ' s hallmarks include coups, dictatorships, guerilla movements, persistent authoritarian legacies, deep social inequality and corruption infi ltrating all branches of government, but the most well-known may be the regularity of constitutional change. As Peter Smith has observed, ' there were 155 regime changes over the 101-year period from 1900 through 2000-a rate of 1.53 per year '. 4 Consider some examples. Th e Dominican Republic has had 34 constitutions. Venezuela has had 26 constitutions so far, and Ecuador is not too far behind: the 2008 Constitution was its twentieth. Since their independence, Latin American countries have written, in total, 197 constitutions, most of them from 1900 onwards, although this pace has waned in the last decades (from 1978 to 2017, there have been 18 new constitutions in the region). 5 Th e constitutional amendment rate is also high, though it does not diff er much from most established

International Journal of Constitutional Law

The Covid-19 health emergency has placed special demands on legal scholars, particularly on those... more The Covid-19 health emergency has placed special demands on legal scholars, particularly on those based in the Global South. Brazil has been one of the epicenters of the pandemic, with over 680,000 deaths as of August 2022. Our narrative emerges from the duality of our positions amid a national tragedy—we are at the same time survivors of the collective threat of a would-be autocrat and a Covid-19-denialist government, and witnesses to how our preexisting privileges put us in a position of readiness “to speak truth to power.” Speaking truth to power means not only to exercise an independent spirit of analysis and judgment with respect to power, but also to interpellate power openly about its wrongdoings. We understand that our responsibility as legal scholars is to embrace the urgency of the moment—to expand our research agendas beyond our previous academic trajectories and work to mitigate situations of rights violations. It also means that our work as legal scholars has had to tra...

Foram muitas as pessoas que colaboraram para minha formação acadêmica cuja materialização, por ho... more Foram muitas as pessoas que colaboraram para minha formação acadêmica cuja materialização, por hora, consiste neste trabalho de conclusão de curso. Aos primeiros, meus genitores, devo agradecer pelo incondicional apoio durante a minha caminhada universitária. Sem eles, provavelmente, eu não me compreenderia da forma como hoje sou. Aos meus demais familiares, pelo carinho e conforto, tão necessários para minha formação enquanto ser humano. À minha doce filha, Melissa, que auxiliou em meu crescimento pessoal e em meu amadurecimento. Esta pequena, que já nasceu em meio às discussões jurídicas da academia, foi meu pilar e minha meta quando o cansaço fazia parecer que o fim deste trabalho era apenas uma meta (muito) distante. Aos meus colegas da UnB, pelas críticas e momentos de descontração, e aos meus pares do grupo de pesquisa Controle de Constitucionalidade e Direitos Fundamentais que foram essenciais para o amadurecimento das idéias presentes no estudo, além das contribuições nas publicações de meus artigos e nos questionamentos dos capítulos desenvolvidos. E, finalmente, aos meus professores da Universidade, que me formaram enquanto aluna e que me mostraram o caminho da luz.

Social Science Research Network, Sep 26, 2017

Revista de Investigações Constitucionais, Sep 5, 2018

Pensar, Jun 15, 2012

Os fundamentos dos direitos fundamentais? quando o antifundacionalismo de Rorty enfrenta o agir c... more Os fundamentos dos direitos fundamentais? quando o antifundacionalismo de Rorty enfrenta o agir comunicativo de Habermas The fundamentals of human rights? when rorty's anti-foundationalism faces Habermas's communicative action Juliano Zaiden Benvindo * Resumo O debate sobre o universalismo dos direitos humanos promove diretamente o questionamento a respeito dos fundamentos no direito. Em que medida se pode afirmar a necessidade de haver fundamentos no direito? E qual alternativa se poderia antever a esse problema? Nesse contexto, o antifundacionalismo de Richard Rorty e a tensão entre facticidade e validade de Jürgen Habermas levam à compreensão dos próprios limites do transcendentalismo no plano dos direitos humanos. Do mesmo modo, revelam que, desse confronto de perspectivas teóricas, surge a própria afirmação da alteridade como condição do direito. A alteridade contra a metafísica jurídica aparece como o recado que expõe que a noção de fundamento é complexa e pode ser ela própria, paradoxalmente, base para o pensamento pós-metafísico no direito.

Revista Derecho del Estado, Apr 28, 2022

Some constitutional changes are constitutional amendments in name alone. These unusual constituti... more Some constitutional changes are constitutional amendments in name alone. These unusual constitutional changes dismantle the basic structure of the constitution while at the same time building a new foundation rooted in principles contrary to the old. They are self-conscious efforts to repudiate the essential characteristics of the constitution and to destroy its foundations. We should not understand changes on this scale as mere amendments. They are better understood as constitutional dismemberments. These constitutional changes disassemble one or more of the constitution’s elemental parts by altering a fundamental right, a load-bearing structural design, or a core aspect of the identity of the constitution. In this article, we draw from three jurisdictions in Latin America—Brazil, Chile, and Colombia—to illustrate this phenomenon, to expose its variations, and to suggest that it entails serious implications.

Social Science Research Network, Mar 1, 2018

Marquette Law Review, 2015

Bruce Ackerman's influential theory of "dualist democracy" posits that in American history some e... more Bruce Ackerman's influential theory of "dualist democracy" posits that in American history some extraordinary moments of constitutionmaking are "constitutional moments," distinguishable from other periods of ordinary lawmaking. What is missing from the Ackermanian account of constitutional moments, however, is a deeper appreciation of the nature of popular protests, specifically that they may sometimes constitute the core of a constitutional moment, but on other occasions, they may serve as a very different inflection point in the evolution of a constitutional democracy. Up until now, the legal literature has not devoted much attention to such application of Ackerman's theory. In this Article, I refine the theory of constitutional moments by drawing from some relevant mass protests around the world-"Occupy Wall Street" in the

Social Science Research Network, 2014

RESUMO: a doutrina constitucional brasileira do final do século XX e início do século XXI revelou... more RESUMO: a doutrina constitucional brasileira do final do século XX e início do século XXI revelou um fascínio pela principiologia e ponderação. Atribui-se o enfraquecimento do caráter normativo da Constituição ao discurso jurídico-axiológico das Cortes Constitucionais, cujos ministros praticariam uma teologia constitucional ao deduzirem diretamente do texto todos os valores e comportamentos corretos. Porém, assim como no Direito, verifica-se na teologia uma preocupação constante com os métodos de interpretação dos textos sagrados, de maneira que resulta impossível reduzir sua rica experiência hermenêutica à jurisprudência de valores. Para ilustrar o argumento, será explorado o debate sobre a leitura da Torá e do Corão, com o fim de evidenciar os distintos métodos interpretativos possíveis. Em segundo lugar, a análise recairá sobre a história constitucional americana, sobretudo no que diz respeito à relação entre interpretação e emenda e ao papel hermenêutico da Suprema Corte, para que, na conclusão, possam ser traçados paralelos entre a interpretação da Torá, do Corão e da Constituição. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Corão. Emenda constitucional. Hermenêutica constitucional. Torá. ABSTRACT: The Brazilian constitutional literature of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century revealed a fascination for principles and for weighting. The weakening of the normative character of the Constitution was attributed to the legal-axiological discourse of Constitutional Courts, whose justices would practice a constitutional theology to deduct directly from the text all the correct values and behaviors. However, as it is in Law, there is a constant concern in theology about the methods of interpretation of sacred texts that makes impossible to reduce its rich hermeneutical experience to a jurisprudence of values. To illustrate the argument, we will explore the debate over the reading of the Torah and of the Koran, in order to show the different possible interpretive methods. Secondly, we will focus on American constitutional history, especially in regard to the relationship between interpretation and amendment and to the hermeneutical role of the Supreme Court, so that, in

Revista de Investigações Constitucionais, Sep 5, 2018

Brasileira de 1988 e seus fantasmas do passado: comparação, história e a sempre presente necessid... more Brasileira de 1988 e seus fantasmas do passado: comparação, história e a sempre presente necessidade de lutar contra o autoritarismo

As long as balancing appears as a fundamental instrument of this new constitutionalism where the ... more As long as balancing appears as a fundamental instrument of this new constitutionalism where the constitutional court plays the role of “Guardian of the Constitution” through the interpretation of subjective rights as though they were objective principles of the total legal order, the aim to rationalize it appears as an immediate consequence. Rationality, accordingly, relates to the purpose of providing decisions that could best fulfill the exigency of legitimacy. In this regard, Robert Alexy’s Special Case Thesis and Theory of Constitutional Rights are clear examples of this connection, first, between morality and law, and, second, between balancing and rationality. Since, for Alexy, legal discourse is a special case of general practical discourse, and balancing, through the Weight Formula and the definition of preference relations, can provide rationality in decision-making, the main question is how to apply, in constitutional adjudication, this vast field of argumentation according to the premise of “unity of practical reason” without sacrificing the consistency of the system of rights. The relationship between constitutional court’s activism, particularly the Bundesverfassungsgericht, and balancing seems to adequately links this dilemma to Alexy’s premises. Yet, it also reveals that this debate on rationality, as Alexy’s defends it, should be challenged by new questions.

Novos Estudos - Cebrap, Apr 1, 2018

O avanço das cortes constitucionais como loci privilegiados dos debates políticos tem ensejado um... more O avanço das cortes constitucionais como loci privilegiados dos debates políticos tem ensejado uma farta literatura no direito constitucional comparado. Com base na análise comparada com a suprema corte mexicana, este artigo sustenta que a fragmentação política no Brasil tem impactado a conquista de espaço crescente do stf, confirmando que, para analisar a atuação política de supremas cortes, é preciso entender como compromissos sociopolíticos são alcançados. PALAvRAs-ChAve: fragmentação política; separação de poderes; tribunais constitucionais; cortes supremas.

Revista Jurídica da Presidência, Jan 28, 2015

Portuguese Abstract: Tao importante quanto compreender o sistema de direitos que uma sociedade ad... more Portuguese Abstract: Tao importante quanto compreender o sistema de direitos que uma sociedade adota e entender os processos implicitos que funcionam por tras desse sistema. O artigo concentra-se em desmistificar esses processos ocultos com relacao ao ins- tituto do aborto por estupro, relacionando-o ao Projeto de Lei no 478/2007, mais conhecido como Estatuto do Nascituro. O artigo procura destrinchar certos discursos e preconceitos, em especial no âmbito legislativo, procurando suas razoes veladas. Quer-se entender os verdadeiros mecanismos sociais que se relacionam com o di- reito ao aborto em casos de estupro e com a autonomia feminina em relacao ao seu corpo. O artigo tambem visa discutir nao apenas o papel da violencia, mas tambem suas fontes. A violencia nao vem apenas do estuprador, mas de todo discurso social, religioso e legislativo que permanece na premissa da exclusao da outra.English Abstract: As important as understanding the system of rights in a society is to comprehend the implicit processes beneath this system. This article aims to demys- tify these concealed processes related to abortion after rape, using thereby the Bra- zilian Bill of the Unborn Child (Bill no 478/2007) as an example. For this purpose, it thoroughly analyzes certain discourses and prejudices, especially in the legal arena, in order to unfold their veiled reasons. It targets at understanding the real social mechanisms connected to the legal right to abortion in cases of rape as well as to women’s autonomy over their body. This article also fosters the debate over not only the role of violence itself, but also its sources, naturally not restricted to the rapist, reaching instead many nuances of social, religious and legal discourses which are based on the premise of excluding the Other.

Revista da Faculdade de Direito UFPR, Aug 31, 2014

RESUMO: a doutrina constitucional brasileira do final do século XX e início do século XXI revelou... more RESUMO: a doutrina constitucional brasileira do final do século XX e início do século XXI revelou um fascínio pela principiologia e ponderação. Atribui-se o enfraquecimento do caráter normativo da Constituição ao discurso jurídico-axiológico das Cortes Constitucionais, cujos ministros praticariam uma teologia constitucional ao deduzirem diretamente do texto todos os valores e comportamentos corretos. Porém, assim como no Direito, verifica-se na teologia uma preocupação constante com os métodos de interpretação dos textos sagrados, de maneira que resulta impossível reduzir sua rica experiência hermenêutica à jurisprudência de valores. Para ilustrar o argumento, será explorado o debate sobre a leitura da Torá e do Corão, com o fim de evidenciar os distintos métodos interpretativos possíveis. Em segundo lugar, a análise recairá sobre a história constitucional americana, sobretudo no que diz respeito à relação entre interpretação e emenda e ao papel hermenêutico da Suprema Corte, para que, na conclusão, possam ser traçados paralelos entre a interpretação da Torá, do Corão e da Constituição. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Corão. Emenda constitucional. Hermenêutica constitucional. Torá. ABSTRACT: The Brazilian constitutional literature of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century revealed a fascination for principles and for weighting. The weakening of the normative character of the Constitution was attributed to the legal-axiological discourse of Constitutional Courts, whose justices would practice a constitutional theology to deduct directly from the text all the correct values and behaviors. However, as it is in Law, there is a constant concern in theology about the methods of interpretation of sacred texts that makes impossible to reduce its rich hermeneutical experience to a jurisprudence of values. To illustrate the argument, we will explore the debate over the reading of the Torah and of the Koran, in order to show the different possible interpretive methods. Secondly, we will focus on American constitutional history, especially in regard to the relationship between interpretation and amendment and to the hermeneutical role of the Supreme Court, so that, in

Springer eBooks, 2010

The historical development of the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) ... more The historical development of the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) and its progressive assumption of the role of “Guardian of the Constitution” through the interpretation of basic rights as objective principles of the total legal order represent a crucial movement in the contemporary constitutionalism. Particularly because of its inclination towards the definition and discussion of the main themes of social life, as if they were constitutional problems to be decided by the court, and the construction of instruments and interpretations, such as the principle of proportionality and the shift from subjective principles to objective principles, the Bundesverfassungsgericht is an important representative of the current worldwide judicial activism. The historical context of an emerging constitutional court after the Second World War and the consequent process of democratization where there was a vacuum of political legitimacy led to the transference of the discussion of many social themes to this court, raising thereby serious questions about a possible encroachment on the other institutional powers. In this respect, the transformations in German constitutional culture, the reactions of relevant part of constitutional scholarship, and the perception of the problems originating from this movement expose the connections between balancing and judicial activism, and demonstrate how constitutional democracy deals with the dilemmas of a process of juridification of politics.

Springer eBooks, 2010

The aim to rationalize balancing seems to follow this movement towards the juridification of poli... more The aim to rationalize balancing seems to follow this movement towards the juridification of politics. Robert Alexy’s defense of rationality is a relevant source to grasp how this process could be legitimately justified according to some predetermined rules and formulas. Yet, his theory poses some necessary questions and possibly leads to the question of whether there is a metaphysical standpoint behind his central premises. In this respect, to challenge Alexy’s premises with Jacques Derrida’s complex, fascinating and powerful philosophy is an interesting and instigating theme, insofar as his deconstruction leads to an incessant questioning of all our beliefs and certainties. There cannot be a metaphysical standpoint behind our activities, for this results in the forgetfulness of the other’s otherness, and there cannot be a logos behind the dualism between law and justice, for this culminates in the practice of violence with ground, and thus injustice. For this reason, it is necessary to verify whether Alexy’s claims to correctness, rationality and legitimacy are not metaphysically justified, and, if they are, which are the consequences they bring about to constitutional democracy. Particularly, as long as the principle of separation of powers is a fundamental issue here, the problem of the legitimacy of balancing through Alexy’s idea of an “argumentative representation” must face the question of “who are the people?” in order to show the risks of a possible construction of a substantive comprehension of democracy in this process. It is here where iterability, undecidability, autoimmunity, and responsibility in the negotiation between constitutionalism and democracy and between law and justice demonstrate their critical potential towards the other’s otherness, and hence towards doing justice to the case.

Springer eBooks, 2010

Robert Alexy’s defense of the rationality of balancing is associated with the premise that this p... more Robert Alexy’s defense of the rationality of balancing is associated with the premise that this procedure is indispensable in the current constitutionalism, for the very nature of principles, interpreted as optimization requirements, leads necessarily to the exigency of deploying it. However, insofar as it seems that there is a metaphysical standpoint behind Alexy’s view, the question shifts to the need to develop a possible alternative to balancing, one that best reconciles the exigency of rational justification with legal certainty. In this regard, the claim to coherence may be the point of a departure of this discussion, as long as, by placing Alexy’s idea of coherence side by side with Klaus Gunther’s differentiation between discourses of justification and discourses of application, Ronald Dworkin’s integrity in law, and Jurgen Habermas’s proceduralist approach, it is possible to provide a robust response to the indeterminacy of law within the context of complex, post-conventional and plural societies. Moreover, through this response, justified in the premise of a dualism between facts and norms in decision-making, the metaphysics embedded in Alexy’s thinking can be disclosed, and the problems emerging from the deployment of balancing through an axiological viewpoint, attacked.

On The Limits of Constitutional Adjudication: Deconstructing Balancing and Judicial Activism, 2010

Juliano Z. Benvindo investigates the current movement of constitutional courts towards political ... more Juliano Z. Benvindo investigates the current movement of constitutional courts towards political activism, especially by focusing on the increasing use of the balancing method as a “rational” justification for this process. From the critical perception of the serious risks of this movement to democracy, the book takes as examples two constitutional realities, Germany and Brazil, in order to discuss the rationality, correctness, and legitimacy of constitutional decisions within this context. Through a dialogue between Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction and Jürgen Habermas’s proceduralism, the author confronts Robert Alexy’s defense of the balancing method as well as those two constitutional realities. This confrontation leads to the introduction of the concept of limited rationality applied to constitutional democracy and constitutional adjudication, which affirms the double bind of history and justice as a condition for a practice of decision-making committed to the principle of separation of powers.