Equality and Cultural Difference in the Practice of Portuguese Courts: Challenges and Opportunities for an Inclusive Society
This project (InclusiveCourts) sought to contribute to a better understanding of the legal challenges raised by cultural diversity in Europe, by looking into the practice of Portuguese courts. It focused on the way courts deal with concepts such as identity, culture, ethnicity and religion, and on the way they balance equality and respect for cultural difference in a wide range of cases. It involved a detailed inventory and review of the cultural diversity related case law of Portuguese courts since 1976, in light of theoretical debates about multiculturalism and human rights and of the international legal framework at global and regional level. By comparing the Portuguese judicial practice with existing reports from other domestic jurisdictions, the project advanced the state of comparative research on multicultural jurisprudence in Europe. Through the involvement of judicial actors, the project aimed at identifying best practices and to set up guidelines for ‘diversity aware’ courts in Portugal.
Duration: 1 October 2018 – 30 September 2022.
Co-PI: Manuela Ivone Cunha
Team: Andreia Rodrigues, Andreia Sofia Pinto Oliveira, Benedita Mac Crorie, Clara Calheiros, Cristina Dias, Fernando Ferreira Alves, Flávia Noversa Loureiro, Inês Costa, Jean-Yves Durand, Maria Cardeira da Silva, Maria José Casa-Nova, Mário Ferreira Monte, Miriam Rocha, Pedro Freitas, Sílvia Gomes, Teresa Moreira, Ximene Rego.
Partners: Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA)
Funding: FCT
Further details: www.inclusivecourts.pt