Recent by Eduardo Nunes de Souza
Civilistica.com, 2024
Com qual espírito o estudioso do direito civil deve hoje se aproximar das fronteiras da sua ciênc... more Com qual espírito o estudioso do direito civil deve hoje se aproximar das fronteiras da sua ciência? [...] Por mais distantes no tempo que possam estar as suas concretizações, a obra de reforma legislativa já nos compromete e nos toca de perto, se é verdade que uma reforma está madura não simplesmente quando são os fatos históricos a reclamá-la, nem simplesmente quando se torna geral a convicção da sua necessidade, mas quando os estudiosos realizaram aquela mudança de condições culturais, aquele refinamento de instrumentos novos e mais adequados que condicionam qualquer tentativa séria de renovação dos institutos jurídicos. A maturidade de uma reforma, de fato, não se pode mensurar jamais apenas a partir do corpo de propostas técnicas que se esteja em condições de aprontar, mas sim a partir da renovação que a cultura jurídica logrou promover ante as ideias expressas nos textos carentes de revisão. Posta nessa dimensão, a reforma torna-se um dos temas centrais da cultura jurídica do nosso tempo, talvez o mais elevado contra o qual o estudioso possa hoje se confrontar. [...]
Revista Brasileira de Direito Civil, 2024
Indício seguro do clima cultural existente em um país, a discussão sobre as cláusulas gerais reap... more Indício seguro do clima cultural existente em um país, a discussão sobre as cláusulas gerais reapareceu também entre os juristas italianos. [...] Não se pode, certamente, dizer que desapareceram as desconfianças que, desde sempre, foram manifestadas em face do emprego das cláusulas gerais. Mas, hoje, ao menos no que tange ao ambiente jurídico italiano, é preciso refletir sobre dois fatos. O primeiro diz respeito à disponibilidade de um material jurisprudencial e normativo mais rico do que aquele que sustentou as investigações do passado. O segundo – que, de resto, poderia também ser considerado um efeito – é definido como “laicização”iii da discussão, que tende a deslocar-se para o terreno da valoração pontual do modo em que operam certas cláusulas gerais, abandonando, assim, uma impostação voltada mais a questionar a oportunidade destas do que a indagar o seu concreto funcionamento. [...]
Revista Brasileira de Direito Civil, 2024
Atualmente, uma reflexão geral sobre as perspectivas do sistema da responsabilidade civil impõe, ... more Atualmente, uma reflexão geral sobre as perspectivas do sistema da responsabilidade civil impõe, entre outras coisas, responder a uma pergunta e tentar fazer uma previsão. A pergunta pode ser formulada assim: quais são as razões pelas quais, há pelo menos trinta anos, o termo “crise” é recorrente em uma parte não ignorável da literatura sobre a responsabilidade civil? Já a previsão diz respeito a duas questões: a área em que, no médio prazo, o sistema da responsabilidade civil desdobrará prevalentemente a sua função; e as fundações teóricas que
acompanharão seu destino. [...]
Revista da AGU, 2024
RESUMO: O presente artigo busca desenvolver uma crítica à inserção dos chamados “contratos empres... more RESUMO: O presente artigo busca desenvolver uma crítica à inserção dos chamados “contratos empresariais” no Código Civil brasileiro como categoria autônoma em relação aos demais contratos não consumeristas, tal como prevista pela reforma promovida pela Lei da Liberdade Econômica e por outras propostas legislativas. Para tanto, o artigo passa em revista, inicialmente, o longo processo histórico de unificação do direito das obrigações brasileiro, passando-se, em seguida, aos problemas criados com a inovação normativa da nova categoria contratual, potencialmente incompatível com os valores do sistema jurídico brasileiro e, em particular, com as diversas cláusulas gerais inauguradas pelo próprio Código Civil de 2002.
ABSTRACT: This article seeks to develop a critique of the inclusion of so-called “business contracts” in the Brazilian Civil Code as an autonomous category vis-à-vis other non-consumer contracts, in the terms of the reform promoted by the Economic Freedom Law and other legislative proposals. To this end, we initially analyze the long historical process of unification of Brazilian obligatory law, then moving on to the problems created by such a normative innovation, which proves to be potentially incompatible with the values of the Brazilian legal system and, in particular, with the general clauses created by the 2002 Brazilian Civil Code itself.
Prefácio à obra "Reparação e prevenção de danos na responsabilidade civil: parâmetros para o ressarcimento de despesas preventivas", de Cássio Monteiro Rodrigues (Ed. Foco), 2024
A multiplicidade de funções que hoje se pretende atribuir à responsabilidade civil traduz uma sub... more A multiplicidade de funções que hoje se pretende atribuir à responsabilidade civil traduz uma subversão da própria função do intérprete, que avoca para si um papel político muito mais discricionário do que aquele que o legislador a ele conferiu quando lançou mão da técnica de cláusulas gerais na matéria. Essa exasperada “função política” da responsabilidade civil salta aos olhos quando se constata que os limites legais do dever de indenizar (inclusive a própria existência de dano) têm sido cada vez mais ultrapassados pelo intérprete sem qualquer fundamentação calcada na axiologia e na lógica do sistema, de forma francamente alheia ao dado normativo. Este prefácio, que apresenta ao público um precioso estudo de autoria de Cássio Monteiro Rodrigues, busca situar a obra em meio à atual crise dogmática da responsabilidade civil realçando um dos mais valiosos atributos do livro: seu comprometimento com o rigor técnico e com a coerência sistemática na matéria.
Civilistica.com, 2023
RESUMO: Este estudo busca uma interpretação sistematicamente adequada para a regra, prevista pelo... more RESUMO: Este estudo busca uma interpretação sistematicamente adequada para a regra, prevista pelo Código Civil brasileiro, segundo a qual, na impossibilidade culposa de certas obrigações, o devedor deveria pagar, além do ressarcimento de eventuais perdas e danos, também o valor pecuniário da prestação impossibilitada (o chamado “equivalente”). Parte-se, para tanto, de um modelo tripartite das fontes de obrigações (convenção, dano injusto e enriquecimento sem causa). Infere-se que o “equivalente” ingressou no direito codificado brasileiro como modalidade de perdas e danos, por provável influência da doutrina francesa, muito embora a atual compreensão sobre o perfil funcional da responsabilidade civil impeça que se lhe confira essa natureza. Refutam-se, igualmente, as teses recentes que defendem tratar-se de uma modalidade alternativa de execução dos contratos, por se entender que tal posição (fomentada pela influência germanista da doutrina portuguesa, incompatível com a lei brasileira) não se coaduna com uma perspectiva funcional, pautada pela causa contratual. Sustenta-se, ao final, um caminho hermenêutico possível, vinculando-se a previsão legal do “equivalente” à fonte do enriquecimento injusto, a determinar a restituição, ao credor, de eventual contraprestação que já houvesse sido paga pela prestação impossibilitada, nas relações contratuais.
ABSTRACT: This study seeks a systematically viable interpretation for the rule, provided for by the Brazilian Civil Code, that, in the culpable impossibility of certain obligations, the debtor should pay, in addition to compensation for any losses and damages, also the pecuniary value of the object that was rendered impossible (the so-called “equivalent”). Therefore, it starts from a threefold model of the sources of obligations (convention, unfair damage and unjust enrichment). It is possible to infer that the “equivalent” entered Brazilian law as a modality of damages, probably due to the influence of the French doctrine, although the current understanding of the functional profile of civil liability prevents it from being given this nature. The study also refutes some recent theses which argue that the “equivalent” might be an alternative modality of execution of contracts, as such a position (fostered by the Germanist influence of Portuguese doctrine, incompatible with Brazilian law) is not consistent with a functional perspective, guided by the contractual cause. In the end, the study suggests a possible hermeneutic path, linking the legal provision of the “equivalent” to the source of unjust enrichment, so as to determine the restitution, to the creditor, of any payments that had already been made in exchange of the lost object, in contractual relations.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude cherche une interprétation systématique pour la règle du Code civil brésilien selon laquelle, dans l'impossibilité coupable de certaines obligations, le débiteur doit payer, en plus d’éventuels pertes et intérêts, la valeur pécuniaire du bien rendu impossible (le soi-disant "équivalent"). On départ d'un modèle tripartite des sources d'obligations (convention, dommage injuste et enrichissement sans cause). Ensuite, on déduit que «l'équivalent» est entré dans le droit brésilien comme modalité de dommages-intérêts, probablement en raison de l'influence de la doctrine française, bien que la compréhension du profil fonctionnel de la responsabilité civile empêche de lui donner cette nature. On réfute également les thèses qui soutiennent qu'il s'agit d'une modalité alternative d'exécution des contrats, car une telle position (favorisée par l'influence germaniste de la doctrine portugaise, incompatible avec le droit brésilien) ne va pas avec une perspective fonctionnelle, guidée par la cause du contrat. À la fin, on propose une possible voie herméneutique, liant la prévision légale de l'« équivalent » à la source de l'enrichissement sans cause, pour déterminer la restitution, au créancier, de toute contrepartie qu’il avait déjà payée, en rapports contractuels.
RIASSUNTO: Il presente studio cerca una interpretazione sistematica della norma del Codice civile brasiliano secondo la quale, nell'impossibilità colpevole di talune obbligazioni, il debitore deve pagare, oltre ad eventuali danni, anche il valore pecuniario del bene (il cosiddetto "equivalente"). Si parte da un modello tripartito delle fonti di obbligazioni (contratto, danno ingiusto e arricchimento senza causa). Se ne deduce, poi, che l'"equivalente" sia entrato nel diritto brasiliano come modalità di risarcimento del danno, probabilmente per l'influenza della dottrina francese, anche se l'attuale comprensione del profilo funzionale della responsabilità civile impedisce di dargli tale natura. Confutiamo anche le recenti tesi che sostengono che si tratti di una modalità di esecuzione dei contratti, poiché tale posizione (favorita dall'influenza germanista della dottrina portoghese, incompatibile con il diritto brasiliano) non è compatibile con una prospettiva funzionale, guidata dalla causa del contratto. Si sostiene, infine, un possibile percorso ermeneutico, legando la previsione giuridica del “equivalente” alla fonte dell'arricchimento senza causa, per determinare la restituzione, al creditore, dell'eventuale corrispettivo da lui già prestato, in rapporti contrattuali.
Highlights by Eduardo Nunes de Souza
RESUMO: A legalidade no direito privado, antes associada exclusivamente à conformidade estrutural... more RESUMO: A legalidade no direito privado, antes associada exclusivamente à conformidade estrutural com a lei, teve seu conteúdo posteriormente ampliado com a vedação ao abuso do direito. Hoje em dia, esse princípio se relaciona com noção ainda mais ampla, correspondente ao merecimento de tutela dos atos de autonomia, que põe em prática a técnica da ponderação e a função promocional do direito.
ABSTRACT: Legality in private Law, in the past associated exclusively to the structural conformity towards the law, has had its meaning enlarged with the prohibition of the abuse of rights. Nowadays, this principle is related to a wider notion, corresponding to the juridical worthiness (meritevolezza) of private autonomy’s acts, which puts to practice the technique of balancing and the promotional function of Law.
In: SOUZA, Eduardo Nunes de; SILVA, Rodrigo da Guia (Coord.). Controvérsias atuais em responsabilidade civil. São Paulo: Almedina, 2018
RESUMO: Uma aplicação da responsabilidade civil conforme à legalidade constitucional impõe ao jul... more RESUMO: Uma aplicação da responsabilidade civil conforme à legalidade constitucional impõe ao julgador respeitar os requisitos normativamente previstos, inclusive o da causalidade, evitando sua confusão conceitual (particularmente com a culpa) e refutando sua substituição por outros elementos (como o chamado nexo de imputação). A fuga dogmática dessas diretrizes tem-se prestado, em larga medida, apenas a viabilizar juízos de suposta equidade por parte do julgador – que, munido de presunções ou propondo o simples abandono dos critérios legais em troca de outros parâmetros, acaba encontrando na invocação vazia de princípios um indesejável caminho para decidir a partir de suas próprias convicções e de modo dissociado aos valores e à lógica do sistema.
ABSTRACT: The enforcement of civil liability in a constitutionally-oriented technique demands that the judge respects all of the normative requisites, including causality, thus avoiding their conceptual confusion (particularly in relation to fault) and refuting their substitution by other elements (such as a wide sense of the word “imputation”). The dogmatic escape from such directives has created, more often than not, an apparent space for equity rulings by the judge – who, making use of presumptions or merely abandoning all legal criteria in favor of other parameters, ends up finding in the empty evocation of principles an undesirable way of ruling according to their own convictions and against the values and the logic of the legal system.
RÉSUMÉ: Une application de la responsabilité civile conformément à la légalité constitutionnelle impose au juge de respecter les réquisits prévus par la loi, y-inclus le lien de causalité, en prevenant ainsi leur confusion conceptuelle (particulièrement avec la faute) et en réfutant leur substitution par d’autres éléments (tels comme une notion trop vague d’imputation). La fugue scientifique de telles directives n’a permis, en général, que de jugements d’une supposé équité par le juge – qui, à partir de présomptions ou en proposant le simple abandon des critères légaux en faveur d’autres paramètres, trouve dans l’invocation vide des principes un chemin tout à fait
indésirable de décider en accordance avec ses propres convictions et en détriment des valeurs et de la logique du système.
RIASSUNTO: Un'applicazione della responsabilità civile in conformità con la legalità costituzionale impone al giudice di rispettare i requisiti previsti dalla legge, incluso il nesso causale, impedendo così la loro confusione concettuale (in particolare con colpa) e rifiutando la loro sostituzione da altri elementi (tali come una vaga nozione di imputazione). La fuga scientifica di tali direttive ha, in generale, portato solo a giudizi di una presunta equità da parte del giudice - che, sulla base di presunzioni o proponendo il semplice abbandono dei criteri legali a favore di altri parametri, trova nella vuota invocazione dei principi un percorso completamente indesiderabile per decidere in accordo con le proprie convinzioni e per sminuire i valori e la logica del sistema.
Civilistica.com, 2017
RESUMO: O regime legal das invalidades negociais, longe de decorrer de mero arbítrio do legislado... more RESUMO: O regime legal das invalidades negociais, longe de decorrer de mero arbítrio do legislador ou de alguma lei natural e imutável, origina-se de uma intensa preocupação com o controle valorativo dos efeitos jurídicos produzidos pela autonomia privada. Esse controle foi iniciado, em abstrato, pelo legislador, ao prever as causas de invalidade, e há de ser completado pelo julgador, levando em conta os interesses e valores incidentes sobre o caso concreto. Partindo dessas premissas, o presente artigo propõe a superação do pensamento exclusivamente estrutural na matéria, particularmente com o abandono dos planos de análise do negócio jurídico – a chamada escala ponteana – e com a flexibilização da separação rígida entre as categorias da nulidade e da anulabilidade. Ao final, sustenta-se a possibilidade de o julgador modular, diante do caso concreto, as consequências oriundas do regime legal das invalidades negociais a partir do prisma dos efeitos produzidos pelo ato.
ABSTRACT: The legal rules about the invalidity of legal acts, far from deriving from an arbitrary decision by the legislator or from some natural and unchangeable law, have their origin in an intense preoccupation on the evaluative control over legal effects produced by private autonomy. The legislator has initiated such a control, in abstract, as the law establishes the causes of invalidity, and the judge must complete it, taking into account all interests and values that may interfere with the concrete case. Based on such premises, this work proposes the overcoming of the exclusively structural thought in the subject, with the abandonment of the degrees of analysis of legal acts and the flexibilization of the strict separation between invalidity and revocability. This work also defends the possibility of judicial modulation of the consequences imposed by the legal rules about the invalidity of private acts, through the perspective of the effects produced by the act.
RÉSUMÉ: Le régime legal des invalidités de l’acte juridique, loin de découler d’un simple arbitre du législateur ou de quelque loi naturelle et imutable, a son origine dans une intense préocupation à propos du jugement de valeur sur les effets produits par l’autonomie privée. Ce contrôle a été commencé par le legislateur en abstrait, quand il a prévu les causes d’invalidité, et doit être completé par le juge, en considérant les intérêts et les valeurs incidents sur le cas concret. À partir de ces premisses, cet étude propose qu’il faut surmonter la pensée purement structuraliste dans cette matière, particulièrement avec l’abandon des plans d’analyse de l’acte juridique et avec la fléxibilisation de la separation rigide entre les catégories de la nullité et de l’annullabilité. À la fin, on soutien la possibilité de modulation des conséquences originées du régime legal des invalidités par le juge, devant chaque cas concret, à partir du prisme des effects produits par l’acte juridique.
RIASSUNTO: Il regime legale delle invalidità negoziali, lontano di risultare di mero arbitrio del legislatore o di qualche legge naturale e immutevole, si origina di una intensa preoccupazione con il controllo valorativo degli effetti giuridici prodotti per l’autonomia privata. Questo controllo è stato iniziato, in astratto, per il legislatore, quando prevede le cause di invalidità, e deve essere completato per il giudice, considerando gli interessi ed i valori incidenti sul caso concreto. Sulla base di queste premesse, il presente lavoro propone il superamento del pensiero esclusivamente struturale nel tema, particolarmente con il abbandono dei piani di analisi del negozio giuridico e con l’attenuazione della separazione rigida tra le categorie della nullità e dell’annullabilità. Alla fine, il lavoro sostiene la possibilità di il giudice modulare, davanti al caso concreto, le conseguenze derivanti dal regime legale delle invalidità negoziali sulla base del prisma degli effetti prodotti dall’atto.
Civilistica.com, 2019
RESUMO: Este estudo se dedica a identificar as principais aplicações da causa dos contratos no di... more RESUMO: Este estudo se dedica a identificar as principais aplicações da causa dos contratos no direito civil contemporâneo. Para tanto, inicia-se a investigação a partir de um breve relato dos principais conceitos já atribuídos à causa contratual nas tradições francesa e italiana. Em seguida, partindo-se do pressuposto de que, em suas muitas acepções, a causa sempre corresponde ao perfil funcional do contrato, busca-se identificar suas mais relevantes aplicações, tanto no campo da invalidade contratual quanto no que tange às possíveis vicissitudes supervenientes do contrato. Nesse sentido, propõe-se que, no direito brasileiro, o espaço mais relevante de aplicação da causa, para além de sua grande importância em matéria de qualificação, é o de orientar a disciplina jurídica e os remédios aplicáveis às vicissitudes do momento dinâmico do contrato. Ao final, busca-se estabelecer um paralelo entre as aplicações da causa e dos princípios contratuais, identificando-se quais consequências usualmente atribuídas a estes últimos (particularmente, à boa-fé objetiva) poderiam ser compreendidas como simples decorrências da análise funcional dos contratos.
ABSTRACT: This study is dedicated to identifying the main applications of the so-called cause of contracts in contemporary civil law. To this end, the investigation departs from a brief account of the main concepts attributed to the contractual cause in the French and Italian traditions. Then, starting from the assumption that, in its many meanings, the cause always corresponds to the functional profile of the contract, this study seeks to identify its most relevant applications, both in the field of contractual invalidity and in relation to the possible supervening vicissitudes of the contract. For that purpose, the article proposes that, in Brazilian law, the most relevant space for the application of the case, besides its great importance in the matter of contractual qualification, is to guide the legal discipline and the remedies applicable to the vicissitudes of the dynamic moment of the contract. In the end, this study seeks to establish a parallel between the applications of the cause and the contractual principles, identifying which consequences usually attributed to the latter (particularly the objective good faith) could be understood as simple consequences of the functional analysis of contracts.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude se consacre à l'identification des principales applications de la cause des contrats en droit civil contemporain. À cette fin, l’enquête commence par un bref exposé des principaux concepts déjà attribués à la cause contractuelle dans les traditions française et italienne. Ensuite, partant de l’hypothèse que, dans ses nombreux sens, la cause correspond toujours au profil fonctionnel du contrat, l’article cherche à identifier ses applications les plus pertinentes, soit dans le domaine de l’invalidité contractuelle, soit dans celui des éventuelles vicissitudes du contrat. En ce sens, l’étude propose qu'en droit brésilien, l'espace le plus pertinent pour l'application de la cause, outre sa grande importance en matière de qualification contractuelle, est celui de guider la discipline juridique et les remédies applicables aux vicissitudes du moment dynamique du contrat. À la fin, l’article cherche à établir un parallèle entre les applications de la cause et les principes contractuels, en identifiant quelles conséquences généralement attribuées à ceux-ci (en particulier la bonne foi objective) pourraient être comprises comme de simples conséquences de l'analyse fonctionnelle des contrats.
RIASSUNTO: Questo studio è dedicato all'identificazione delle principali applicazioni della causa dei contratti nel diritto civile contemporaneo. A tal fine, l'inchiesta inizia da un breve resoconto dei principali concetti già attribuiti alla causa contrattuale nelle tradizioni francese e italiana. Poi, partendo dal presupposto che, nei suoi molteplici significati, la causa corrisponda sempre al profilo funzionale del contratto, il saggio cerca di identificare le sue applicazioni più rilevanti, sia nel campo dell'invalidità contrattuale sia in relazione alle possibili sopravvenienze del contratto. Quindi, si propone che, nel diritto brasiliano, lo spazio più rilevante per l'applicazione della causa, oltre alla sua grande importanza in materia di qualificazione, sia quello di guidare la disciplina giuridica ed i rimedi applicabili alle vicissitudini del momento dinamico del contratto. Alla fine, il lavoro cerca di stabilire un parallelo tra l'applicazione della causa e i principi contrattuali, identificando quali conseguenze solitamente attribuite a quest'ultimi (in particolare la buona fede oggettiva) potrebbero essere intese come semplici conseguenze dell'analisi funzionale dei contratti.
Revista de Direito Privado, 2013
RESUMO: Este artigo propõe-se a analisar a relação entre função negocial e função social do contr... more RESUMO: Este artigo propõe-se a analisar a relação entre função negocial e função social do contrato, buscando delimitar tais conceitos, evidenciar sua circunstancial aproximação no direito civil brasileiro atual e ressaltar sua relevância para o controle valorativo dos atos jurídicos.
ABSTRACT: This article proposes to analyze the relation between contractual function and social function of the contract, seeking to delimitate those concepts and to point out their circumstantial approximation in contemporary Brazilian Civil Law, as well as their relevance for the axiological control of juridical acts.
Civilistica.com, 2015
RESUMO: As situações jurídicas subjetivas, a serem estudadas sempre em perspectiva relacional, co... more RESUMO: As situações jurídicas subjetivas, a serem estudadas sempre em perspectiva relacional, constituem importante instrumento para o intérprete na análise valorativa dos atos de autonomia privada. Seu estudo em perspectiva funcional fornece subsídios para identificar os valores e interesses que devem orientar cada situação jurídica, seja em sua gênese, seja em seu exercício, o que permite aplicações em campos tão variados quanto o da invalidade do negócio jurídico, o do abuso do direito e o do merecimento de tutela. Este trabalho visa a oferecer um enfoque funcional sobre a matéria, ressaltando também alguns aspectos controversos do tema.
ABSTRACT: Subjective legal situations, which must always be studied in a relative perspective, are an important tool for the interpreter in the evaluation of private autonomy acts. Their study in a functional view offers resources for identifying values and interests that must guide each one of them, be it in their genesis or during their exercise. That allows applications in varied fields, such as the validity of juridical acts, the abuse of rights and the juridical worthiness of private acts. This work seeks to offer a functional focus on the matter and also to point out some of its controversies.
Papers by Eduardo Nunes de Souza
Pensar, 2023
RESUMO: Com o desenvolvimento recente de novas aplicações dotadas de inteligência artificial, cre... more RESUMO: Com o desenvolvimento recente de novas aplicações dotadas de inteligência artificial, crescem os debates em torno não apenas de suas repercussões jurídicas, mas também de seus eventuais impactos sobre a própria formação dos profissionais do Direito e sobre suas carreiras no futuro próximo. O presente ensaio busca analisar algumas possíveis repercussões sobre o ensino do Direito do crescimento recente de tecnologias dotadas de inteligência artificial. Analisam-se, em particular: as propostas de criação de disciplinas específicas nas grades curriculares dos cursos jurídicos para o estudo da interação entre Direito e tecnologia; as propostas de inserção do treinamento de estudantes para o uso de sistemas inteligentes no currículo dos cursos jurídicos; e, por fim, a tese de que a inteligência artificial substituiria as funções atuais do ensino universitário do Direito. O trabalho adota a perspectiva civil-constitucional e busca destacar o risco de que as tendências ora referidas promovam a substituição dos valores do ordenamento, notadamente a tutela da dignidade humana, pelos interesses do mercado.
ABSTRACT: With the recent development of new applications equipped with artificial intelligence, debates are growing around not only their legal repercussions, but also their possible impacts on the training of legal professionals and on their careers in the near future. This essay seeks to analyze some possible repercussions on the teaching of Law of the recent growth of artificial intelligence technologies. In particular, the paper analyzes: proposals for the creation of specific disciplines in the curricula of Law Schools for the study of the interaction between law and technology; proposals for inserting student training in the use of intelligent systems in the curricula of Law Schools; and, finally, the thesis that artificial intelligence would replace the current functions of legal education. The work adopts the constitutionalized private law perspective and seeks to highlight the risk that the aforementioned trends promote the replacement of legal system values, notably the protection of human dignity, by market values.
Revista da Faculdade de Direito da UERJ, 2022
RESUMO: O presente artigo dedica-se a abordar alguns equívocos comuns acerca da metodologia civil... more RESUMO: O presente artigo dedica-se a abordar alguns equívocos comuns acerca da metodologia civil-constitucional, em particular certos procedimentos interpretativos indevidamente atribuídos a essa escola hermenêutica. Parte-se, em primeiro lugar, da relevância da valorização do dado normativo pelo intérprete, analisando-se, em seguida, o papel e os limites da subsunção na perspectiva civil-constitucional e, ainda, a inevitabilidade da ponderação diante da complexidade de fontes normativas do sistema
ABSTRACT: The article that follows is devoted to addressing some common misconceptions about the constitutionalized private law methodology, in particular certain interpretative procedures unduly attributed to this hermeneutical school. It departs from the relevance of the valorization of positive norms by the interpreter and then analyses the role and the limits of subsumption in the civil-constitutional perspective, as well as the inevitability of the weighing before the complexity of legal sources.
Civilistica.com, 2021
RESUMO: Este estudo propõe uma perspectiva funcional sobre a prescrição extintiva, que identifica... more RESUMO: Este estudo propõe uma perspectiva funcional sobre a prescrição extintiva, que identifica no instituto e, particularmente, na determinação do termo inicial do prazo da prescrição, bem como nas causas suspensivas, impeditivas e interruptivas do prazo, um juízo de merecimento de tutela do exercício das situações jurídicas ativa e passiva pelas partes. O trabalho aborda, em seguida, alguns problemas contemporâneos que poderiam ser beneficiados por essa perspectiva, nomeadamente o prazo prescricional aplicável à pretensão indenizatória na responsabilidade contratual, a desproteção das pessoas com deficiência intelectual ou psíquica contra a prescrição após a reforma promovida pelo Estatuto da Pessoa com Deficiência, a desproteção dos relativamente incapazes sem representante legal contra a prescrição e, por fim, a indevida introdução da disciplina da prescrição intercorrente no Código Civil.
ABSTRACT: This study proposes a functional perspective on extinctive prescription, which identifies in that institute and, particularly, in the determination of the initial term of the limitation period, as well as in the suspensive, impeding and interruptive causes of the period, a judgment of legal worthiness of the exercise of active and passive legal situations by the parties. This paper then addresses some contemporary problems that could benefit from this perspective, namely the statute of limitations applicable to the indemnity claim in contractual liability, the lack of protection of people with intellectual or mental disabilities against prescription after the reform promoted by the Statute of the Person with Disabilities, the lack of protection of the relatively incapable without a legal representative against prescription and, finally, the undue introduction of the discipline of intercurrent prescription in the Brazilian Civil Code.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude propose une perspective fonctionnelle sur la prescription extinctive, qui identifie dans l'institut et, en particulier, dans la détermination du point de départ de la prescription, ainsi que dans les causes de suspension et interruption du délai, un jugement de valeur de l'exercice des situations juridiques actives et passives par les parties. L’étude aborde ensuite quelques problèmes contemporains qui pourraient bénéficier de cette perspective, à savoir le délai de prescription applicable à l’action en dommages et intérêts en responsabilité contractuelle, l'absence de protection des personnes handicapées mentales ou intellectuelles contre les délais de prescription après la réforme promue par le Statut de la Personne Handicapée, l'absence de protection des personnes relativement incapables sans représentant légal contre la prescription et, enfin, l'introduction indue de la discipline de la prescription intercurrente dans le Code civil brésilien.
RIASSUNTO: Il presente studio propone una prospettiva funzionale sulla prescrizione estintiva, che individua nell'istituto e, in particolare, nella determinazione del termine iniziale e nelle cause sospensive, ostative ed interruttive del termine, un giudizio di meritevolezza dell'esercizio delle situazioni giuridiche attive e passive da parte delle parti. Il lavoro affronta poi alcune problematiche contemporanee che potrebbero trarre vantaggio da questa prospettiva, ovvero la prescrizione applicabile alla domanda di indennizzo nella responsabilità contrattuale, la mancata tutela delle persone con disabilità intellettiva o psichica contro la prescrizione dopo la riforma promossa dallo Statuto della Persona con Disabilità, la mancata tutela contro la prescrizione del relativamente incapace privo di legale rappresentante e, infine, l'indebita introduzione della disciplina della prescrizione intercorrente nel codice civile.
RESUMO: O artigo apresenta as principais críticas relativas à doutrina tradicional da invalidade ... more RESUMO: O artigo apresenta as principais críticas relativas à doutrina tradicional da invalidade do negócio jurídico, introduzindo alguns subsídios para uma releitura funcional da matéria, em perspectiva civil-constitucional.
In: COELHO, Fábio Ulhoa; TEPEDINO, Gustavo; LEMES, Selma Ferreira (Coord.). A evolução do Direito no século XXI: seus princípios e valores. Volume II. São Paulo: IASP, 2022
Revista Jurídica Luso-Brasileira, 2021
RESUMO: Este artigo busca abordar criticamente a noção de atos jurídicos inexistentes à luz do di... more RESUMO: Este artigo busca abordar criticamente a noção de atos jurídicos inexistentes à luz do direito brasileiro, a partir da comparação dessa categoria com as invalidades do negócio jurídico, em perspectiva funcional. O estudo apresenta o desenvolvimento da chamada inexistência na doutrina brasileira e propõe, ao final, sua inserção no âmbito da invalidade dos negócios jurídicos.
ABSTRACT: This article seeks to approach the notion of inexistent legal acts in Brazilian law, departing from the comparison of that category in relation to legal acts' invalidity, in a functional perspective. This study presents the development of the so-called inexistence in the Brazilian private law doctrine and proposes, in the end, its insertion in the field of legal acts' invalidity.
Revista dos Tribunais, 2016
RESUMO: O controle de validade dos negócios jurídicos encontra-se minuciosamente disciplinado pel... more RESUMO: O controle de validade dos negócios jurídicos encontra-se minuciosamente disciplinado pelo Código Civil. O mesmo não ocorre, porém, a respeito da validade de outras categorias de atos jurídicos lícitos, sobre as quais pouco avança o regime legislado. O presente artigo visa a fundamentar a possibilidade de aplicação do controle de validade a estas outras categorias, bem como traçar os limites dessa aplicação, a partir de uma análise comparativa de suas características estruturais e funcionais.
ABSTRACT: The validity control of legal acts is thoroughly ruled by the Brazilian Civil Code. The same cannot be said about the validity of other categories of legally admitted acts, about which the legal regime offers too few advances. This article seeks to present the fundaments for the application of legal acts’ validity control to those other categories, as well as to identify the limits of such an application, taking into account a comparative analysis of their structural and functional characteristics.
Civilistica.com, 2016
RESUMO: O presente estudo parte de uma perspectiva funcional da invalidade dos negócios jurídicos... more RESUMO: O presente estudo parte de uma perspectiva funcional da invalidade dos negócios jurídicos, que autoriza ao intérprete modular as consequências do regime jurídico da nulidade ou anulabilidade legalmente previsto, por meio de um juízo fundamentado de merecimento de tutela dos efeitos produzidos pelo ato e dos interesses concretamente envolvidos. No caso dos atos praticados por pessoa com deficiência mental, que passou a ser considerada plenamente capaz no direito brasileiro, sustenta-se a necessidade de avaliar sua validade em concreto, de acordo com o discernimento e a vulnerabilidade apresentados pelo agente. Toma-se como norte o imperativo de proteção da pessoa humana, a conduzir a atividade interpretativa independentemente da existência de regime de curatela.
ABSTRACT: This study relies on a functional perspective of legal acts’ invalidity, which authorizes the interpreter to modulate the consequences of a legally established regime of nullity or anullability by means of a rational judgment of worthiness of the effects produced by the act and the concretely involved interests. In the case of acts produced by a mentally disabled person, who is currently considered fully capable in the Brazilian civil law order, this work sustains the necessity of evaluating their validity in concreto, in accordance to the discernment and the vulnerability that the agent presents. Such an approach is guided by the imperative protection of the human person, so that the interpretation activity can be accomplished even in the absence of a curatorship regime.
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acompanharão seu destino. [...]
ABSTRACT: This article seeks to develop a critique of the inclusion of so-called “business contracts” in the Brazilian Civil Code as an autonomous category vis-à-vis other non-consumer contracts, in the terms of the reform promoted by the Economic Freedom Law and other legislative proposals. To this end, we initially analyze the long historical process of unification of Brazilian obligatory law, then moving on to the problems created by such a normative innovation, which proves to be potentially incompatible with the values of the Brazilian legal system and, in particular, with the general clauses created by the 2002 Brazilian Civil Code itself.
ABSTRACT: This study seeks a systematically viable interpretation for the rule, provided for by the Brazilian Civil Code, that, in the culpable impossibility of certain obligations, the debtor should pay, in addition to compensation for any losses and damages, also the pecuniary value of the object that was rendered impossible (the so-called “equivalent”). Therefore, it starts from a threefold model of the sources of obligations (convention, unfair damage and unjust enrichment). It is possible to infer that the “equivalent” entered Brazilian law as a modality of damages, probably due to the influence of the French doctrine, although the current understanding of the functional profile of civil liability prevents it from being given this nature. The study also refutes some recent theses which argue that the “equivalent” might be an alternative modality of execution of contracts, as such a position (fostered by the Germanist influence of Portuguese doctrine, incompatible with Brazilian law) is not consistent with a functional perspective, guided by the contractual cause. In the end, the study suggests a possible hermeneutic path, linking the legal provision of the “equivalent” to the source of unjust enrichment, so as to determine the restitution, to the creditor, of any payments that had already been made in exchange of the lost object, in contractual relations.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude cherche une interprétation systématique pour la règle du Code civil brésilien selon laquelle, dans l'impossibilité coupable de certaines obligations, le débiteur doit payer, en plus d’éventuels pertes et intérêts, la valeur pécuniaire du bien rendu impossible (le soi-disant "équivalent"). On départ d'un modèle tripartite des sources d'obligations (convention, dommage injuste et enrichissement sans cause). Ensuite, on déduit que «l'équivalent» est entré dans le droit brésilien comme modalité de dommages-intérêts, probablement en raison de l'influence de la doctrine française, bien que la compréhension du profil fonctionnel de la responsabilité civile empêche de lui donner cette nature. On réfute également les thèses qui soutiennent qu'il s'agit d'une modalité alternative d'exécution des contrats, car une telle position (favorisée par l'influence germaniste de la doctrine portugaise, incompatible avec le droit brésilien) ne va pas avec une perspective fonctionnelle, guidée par la cause du contrat. À la fin, on propose une possible voie herméneutique, liant la prévision légale de l'« équivalent » à la source de l'enrichissement sans cause, pour déterminer la restitution, au créancier, de toute contrepartie qu’il avait déjà payée, en rapports contractuels.
RIASSUNTO: Il presente studio cerca una interpretazione sistematica della norma del Codice civile brasiliano secondo la quale, nell'impossibilità colpevole di talune obbligazioni, il debitore deve pagare, oltre ad eventuali danni, anche il valore pecuniario del bene (il cosiddetto "equivalente"). Si parte da un modello tripartito delle fonti di obbligazioni (contratto, danno ingiusto e arricchimento senza causa). Se ne deduce, poi, che l'"equivalente" sia entrato nel diritto brasiliano come modalità di risarcimento del danno, probabilmente per l'influenza della dottrina francese, anche se l'attuale comprensione del profilo funzionale della responsabilità civile impedisce di dargli tale natura. Confutiamo anche le recenti tesi che sostengono che si tratti di una modalità di esecuzione dei contratti, poiché tale posizione (favorita dall'influenza germanista della dottrina portoghese, incompatibile con il diritto brasiliano) non è compatibile con una prospettiva funzionale, guidata dalla causa del contratto. Si sostiene, infine, un possibile percorso ermeneutico, legando la previsione giuridica del “equivalente” alla fonte dell'arricchimento senza causa, per determinare la restituzione, al creditore, dell'eventuale corrispettivo da lui già prestato, in rapporti contrattuali.
Highlights by Eduardo Nunes de Souza
ABSTRACT: Legality in private Law, in the past associated exclusively to the structural conformity towards the law, has had its meaning enlarged with the prohibition of the abuse of rights. Nowadays, this principle is related to a wider notion, corresponding to the juridical worthiness (meritevolezza) of private autonomy’s acts, which puts to practice the technique of balancing and the promotional function of Law.
ABSTRACT: The enforcement of civil liability in a constitutionally-oriented technique demands that the judge respects all of the normative requisites, including causality, thus avoiding their conceptual confusion (particularly in relation to fault) and refuting their substitution by other elements (such as a wide sense of the word “imputation”). The dogmatic escape from such directives has created, more often than not, an apparent space for equity rulings by the judge – who, making use of presumptions or merely abandoning all legal criteria in favor of other parameters, ends up finding in the empty evocation of principles an undesirable way of ruling according to their own convictions and against the values and the logic of the legal system.
RÉSUMÉ: Une application de la responsabilité civile conformément à la légalité constitutionnelle impose au juge de respecter les réquisits prévus par la loi, y-inclus le lien de causalité, en prevenant ainsi leur confusion conceptuelle (particulièrement avec la faute) et en réfutant leur substitution par d’autres éléments (tels comme une notion trop vague d’imputation). La fugue scientifique de telles directives n’a permis, en général, que de jugements d’une supposé équité par le juge – qui, à partir de présomptions ou en proposant le simple abandon des critères légaux en faveur d’autres paramètres, trouve dans l’invocation vide des principes un chemin tout à fait
indésirable de décider en accordance avec ses propres convictions et en détriment des valeurs et de la logique du système.
RIASSUNTO: Un'applicazione della responsabilità civile in conformità con la legalità costituzionale impone al giudice di rispettare i requisiti previsti dalla legge, incluso il nesso causale, impedendo così la loro confusione concettuale (in particolare con colpa) e rifiutando la loro sostituzione da altri elementi (tali come una vaga nozione di imputazione). La fuga scientifica di tali direttive ha, in generale, portato solo a giudizi di una presunta equità da parte del giudice - che, sulla base di presunzioni o proponendo il semplice abbandono dei criteri legali a favore di altri parametri, trova nella vuota invocazione dei principi un percorso completamente indesiderabile per decidere in accordo con le proprie convinzioni e per sminuire i valori e la logica del sistema.
ABSTRACT: The legal rules about the invalidity of legal acts, far from deriving from an arbitrary decision by the legislator or from some natural and unchangeable law, have their origin in an intense preoccupation on the evaluative control over legal effects produced by private autonomy. The legislator has initiated such a control, in abstract, as the law establishes the causes of invalidity, and the judge must complete it, taking into account all interests and values that may interfere with the concrete case. Based on such premises, this work proposes the overcoming of the exclusively structural thought in the subject, with the abandonment of the degrees of analysis of legal acts and the flexibilization of the strict separation between invalidity and revocability. This work also defends the possibility of judicial modulation of the consequences imposed by the legal rules about the invalidity of private acts, through the perspective of the effects produced by the act.
RÉSUMÉ: Le régime legal des invalidités de l’acte juridique, loin de découler d’un simple arbitre du législateur ou de quelque loi naturelle et imutable, a son origine dans une intense préocupation à propos du jugement de valeur sur les effets produits par l’autonomie privée. Ce contrôle a été commencé par le legislateur en abstrait, quand il a prévu les causes d’invalidité, et doit être completé par le juge, en considérant les intérêts et les valeurs incidents sur le cas concret. À partir de ces premisses, cet étude propose qu’il faut surmonter la pensée purement structuraliste dans cette matière, particulièrement avec l’abandon des plans d’analyse de l’acte juridique et avec la fléxibilisation de la separation rigide entre les catégories de la nullité et de l’annullabilité. À la fin, on soutien la possibilité de modulation des conséquences originées du régime legal des invalidités par le juge, devant chaque cas concret, à partir du prisme des effects produits par l’acte juridique.
RIASSUNTO: Il regime legale delle invalidità negoziali, lontano di risultare di mero arbitrio del legislatore o di qualche legge naturale e immutevole, si origina di una intensa preoccupazione con il controllo valorativo degli effetti giuridici prodotti per l’autonomia privata. Questo controllo è stato iniziato, in astratto, per il legislatore, quando prevede le cause di invalidità, e deve essere completato per il giudice, considerando gli interessi ed i valori incidenti sul caso concreto. Sulla base di queste premesse, il presente lavoro propone il superamento del pensiero esclusivamente struturale nel tema, particolarmente con il abbandono dei piani di analisi del negozio giuridico e con l’attenuazione della separazione rigida tra le categorie della nullità e dell’annullabilità. Alla fine, il lavoro sostiene la possibilità di il giudice modulare, davanti al caso concreto, le conseguenze derivanti dal regime legale delle invalidità negoziali sulla base del prisma degli effetti prodotti dall’atto.
ABSTRACT: This study is dedicated to identifying the main applications of the so-called cause of contracts in contemporary civil law. To this end, the investigation departs from a brief account of the main concepts attributed to the contractual cause in the French and Italian traditions. Then, starting from the assumption that, in its many meanings, the cause always corresponds to the functional profile of the contract, this study seeks to identify its most relevant applications, both in the field of contractual invalidity and in relation to the possible supervening vicissitudes of the contract. For that purpose, the article proposes that, in Brazilian law, the most relevant space for the application of the case, besides its great importance in the matter of contractual qualification, is to guide the legal discipline and the remedies applicable to the vicissitudes of the dynamic moment of the contract. In the end, this study seeks to establish a parallel between the applications of the cause and the contractual principles, identifying which consequences usually attributed to the latter (particularly the objective good faith) could be understood as simple consequences of the functional analysis of contracts.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude se consacre à l'identification des principales applications de la cause des contrats en droit civil contemporain. À cette fin, l’enquête commence par un bref exposé des principaux concepts déjà attribués à la cause contractuelle dans les traditions française et italienne. Ensuite, partant de l’hypothèse que, dans ses nombreux sens, la cause correspond toujours au profil fonctionnel du contrat, l’article cherche à identifier ses applications les plus pertinentes, soit dans le domaine de l’invalidité contractuelle, soit dans celui des éventuelles vicissitudes du contrat. En ce sens, l’étude propose qu'en droit brésilien, l'espace le plus pertinent pour l'application de la cause, outre sa grande importance en matière de qualification contractuelle, est celui de guider la discipline juridique et les remédies applicables aux vicissitudes du moment dynamique du contrat. À la fin, l’article cherche à établir un parallèle entre les applications de la cause et les principes contractuels, en identifiant quelles conséquences généralement attribuées à ceux-ci (en particulier la bonne foi objective) pourraient être comprises comme de simples conséquences de l'analyse fonctionnelle des contrats.
RIASSUNTO: Questo studio è dedicato all'identificazione delle principali applicazioni della causa dei contratti nel diritto civile contemporaneo. A tal fine, l'inchiesta inizia da un breve resoconto dei principali concetti già attribuiti alla causa contrattuale nelle tradizioni francese e italiana. Poi, partendo dal presupposto che, nei suoi molteplici significati, la causa corrisponda sempre al profilo funzionale del contratto, il saggio cerca di identificare le sue applicazioni più rilevanti, sia nel campo dell'invalidità contrattuale sia in relazione alle possibili sopravvenienze del contratto. Quindi, si propone che, nel diritto brasiliano, lo spazio più rilevante per l'applicazione della causa, oltre alla sua grande importanza in materia di qualificazione, sia quello di guidare la disciplina giuridica ed i rimedi applicabili alle vicissitudini del momento dinamico del contratto. Alla fine, il lavoro cerca di stabilire un parallelo tra l'applicazione della causa e i principi contrattuali, identificando quali conseguenze solitamente attribuite a quest'ultimi (in particolare la buona fede oggettiva) potrebbero essere intese come semplici conseguenze dell'analisi funzionale dei contratti.
ABSTRACT: This article proposes to analyze the relation between contractual function and social function of the contract, seeking to delimitate those concepts and to point out their circumstantial approximation in contemporary Brazilian Civil Law, as well as their relevance for the axiological control of juridical acts.
ABSTRACT: Subjective legal situations, which must always be studied in a relative perspective, are an important tool for the interpreter in the evaluation of private autonomy acts. Their study in a functional view offers resources for identifying values and interests that must guide each one of them, be it in their genesis or during their exercise. That allows applications in varied fields, such as the validity of juridical acts, the abuse of rights and the juridical worthiness of private acts. This work seeks to offer a functional focus on the matter and also to point out some of its controversies.
Papers by Eduardo Nunes de Souza
ABSTRACT: With the recent development of new applications equipped with artificial intelligence, debates are growing around not only their legal repercussions, but also their possible impacts on the training of legal professionals and on their careers in the near future. This essay seeks to analyze some possible repercussions on the teaching of Law of the recent growth of artificial intelligence technologies. In particular, the paper analyzes: proposals for the creation of specific disciplines in the curricula of Law Schools for the study of the interaction between law and technology; proposals for inserting student training in the use of intelligent systems in the curricula of Law Schools; and, finally, the thesis that artificial intelligence would replace the current functions of legal education. The work adopts the constitutionalized private law perspective and seeks to highlight the risk that the aforementioned trends promote the replacement of legal system values, notably the protection of human dignity, by market values.
ABSTRACT: The article that follows is devoted to addressing some common misconceptions about the constitutionalized private law methodology, in particular certain interpretative procedures unduly attributed to this hermeneutical school. It departs from the relevance of the valorization of positive norms by the interpreter and then analyses the role and the limits of subsumption in the civil-constitutional perspective, as well as the inevitability of the weighing before the complexity of legal sources.
ABSTRACT: This study proposes a functional perspective on extinctive prescription, which identifies in that institute and, particularly, in the determination of the initial term of the limitation period, as well as in the suspensive, impeding and interruptive causes of the period, a judgment of legal worthiness of the exercise of active and passive legal situations by the parties. This paper then addresses some contemporary problems that could benefit from this perspective, namely the statute of limitations applicable to the indemnity claim in contractual liability, the lack of protection of people with intellectual or mental disabilities against prescription after the reform promoted by the Statute of the Person with Disabilities, the lack of protection of the relatively incapable without a legal representative against prescription and, finally, the undue introduction of the discipline of intercurrent prescription in the Brazilian Civil Code.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude propose une perspective fonctionnelle sur la prescription extinctive, qui identifie dans l'institut et, en particulier, dans la détermination du point de départ de la prescription, ainsi que dans les causes de suspension et interruption du délai, un jugement de valeur de l'exercice des situations juridiques actives et passives par les parties. L’étude aborde ensuite quelques problèmes contemporains qui pourraient bénéficier de cette perspective, à savoir le délai de prescription applicable à l’action en dommages et intérêts en responsabilité contractuelle, l'absence de protection des personnes handicapées mentales ou intellectuelles contre les délais de prescription après la réforme promue par le Statut de la Personne Handicapée, l'absence de protection des personnes relativement incapables sans représentant légal contre la prescription et, enfin, l'introduction indue de la discipline de la prescription intercurrente dans le Code civil brésilien.
RIASSUNTO: Il presente studio propone una prospettiva funzionale sulla prescrizione estintiva, che individua nell'istituto e, in particolare, nella determinazione del termine iniziale e nelle cause sospensive, ostative ed interruttive del termine, un giudizio di meritevolezza dell'esercizio delle situazioni giuridiche attive e passive da parte delle parti. Il lavoro affronta poi alcune problematiche contemporanee che potrebbero trarre vantaggio da questa prospettiva, ovvero la prescrizione applicabile alla domanda di indennizzo nella responsabilità contrattuale, la mancata tutela delle persone con disabilità intellettiva o psichica contro la prescrizione dopo la riforma promossa dallo Statuto della Persona con Disabilità, la mancata tutela contro la prescrizione del relativamente incapace privo di legale rappresentante e, infine, l'indebita introduzione della disciplina della prescrizione intercorrente nel codice civile.
ABSTRACT: This article seeks to approach the notion of inexistent legal acts in Brazilian law, departing from the comparison of that category in relation to legal acts' invalidity, in a functional perspective. This study presents the development of the so-called inexistence in the Brazilian private law doctrine and proposes, in the end, its insertion in the field of legal acts' invalidity.
ABSTRACT: The validity control of legal acts is thoroughly ruled by the Brazilian Civil Code. The same cannot be said about the validity of other categories of legally admitted acts, about which the legal regime offers too few advances. This article seeks to present the fundaments for the application of legal acts’ validity control to those other categories, as well as to identify the limits of such an application, taking into account a comparative analysis of their structural and functional characteristics.
ABSTRACT: This study relies on a functional perspective of legal acts’ invalidity, which authorizes the interpreter to modulate the consequences of a legally established regime of nullity or anullability by means of a rational judgment of worthiness of the effects produced by the act and the concretely involved interests. In the case of acts produced by a mentally disabled person, who is currently considered fully capable in the Brazilian civil law order, this work sustains the necessity of evaluating their validity in concreto, in accordance to the discernment and the vulnerability that the agent presents. Such an approach is guided by the imperative protection of the human person, so that the interpretation activity can be accomplished even in the absence of a curatorship regime.
acompanharão seu destino. [...]
ABSTRACT: This article seeks to develop a critique of the inclusion of so-called “business contracts” in the Brazilian Civil Code as an autonomous category vis-à-vis other non-consumer contracts, in the terms of the reform promoted by the Economic Freedom Law and other legislative proposals. To this end, we initially analyze the long historical process of unification of Brazilian obligatory law, then moving on to the problems created by such a normative innovation, which proves to be potentially incompatible with the values of the Brazilian legal system and, in particular, with the general clauses created by the 2002 Brazilian Civil Code itself.
ABSTRACT: This study seeks a systematically viable interpretation for the rule, provided for by the Brazilian Civil Code, that, in the culpable impossibility of certain obligations, the debtor should pay, in addition to compensation for any losses and damages, also the pecuniary value of the object that was rendered impossible (the so-called “equivalent”). Therefore, it starts from a threefold model of the sources of obligations (convention, unfair damage and unjust enrichment). It is possible to infer that the “equivalent” entered Brazilian law as a modality of damages, probably due to the influence of the French doctrine, although the current understanding of the functional profile of civil liability prevents it from being given this nature. The study also refutes some recent theses which argue that the “equivalent” might be an alternative modality of execution of contracts, as such a position (fostered by the Germanist influence of Portuguese doctrine, incompatible with Brazilian law) is not consistent with a functional perspective, guided by the contractual cause. In the end, the study suggests a possible hermeneutic path, linking the legal provision of the “equivalent” to the source of unjust enrichment, so as to determine the restitution, to the creditor, of any payments that had already been made in exchange of the lost object, in contractual relations.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude cherche une interprétation systématique pour la règle du Code civil brésilien selon laquelle, dans l'impossibilité coupable de certaines obligations, le débiteur doit payer, en plus d’éventuels pertes et intérêts, la valeur pécuniaire du bien rendu impossible (le soi-disant "équivalent"). On départ d'un modèle tripartite des sources d'obligations (convention, dommage injuste et enrichissement sans cause). Ensuite, on déduit que «l'équivalent» est entré dans le droit brésilien comme modalité de dommages-intérêts, probablement en raison de l'influence de la doctrine française, bien que la compréhension du profil fonctionnel de la responsabilité civile empêche de lui donner cette nature. On réfute également les thèses qui soutiennent qu'il s'agit d'une modalité alternative d'exécution des contrats, car une telle position (favorisée par l'influence germaniste de la doctrine portugaise, incompatible avec le droit brésilien) ne va pas avec une perspective fonctionnelle, guidée par la cause du contrat. À la fin, on propose une possible voie herméneutique, liant la prévision légale de l'« équivalent » à la source de l'enrichissement sans cause, pour déterminer la restitution, au créancier, de toute contrepartie qu’il avait déjà payée, en rapports contractuels.
RIASSUNTO: Il presente studio cerca una interpretazione sistematica della norma del Codice civile brasiliano secondo la quale, nell'impossibilità colpevole di talune obbligazioni, il debitore deve pagare, oltre ad eventuali danni, anche il valore pecuniario del bene (il cosiddetto "equivalente"). Si parte da un modello tripartito delle fonti di obbligazioni (contratto, danno ingiusto e arricchimento senza causa). Se ne deduce, poi, che l'"equivalente" sia entrato nel diritto brasiliano come modalità di risarcimento del danno, probabilmente per l'influenza della dottrina francese, anche se l'attuale comprensione del profilo funzionale della responsabilità civile impedisce di dargli tale natura. Confutiamo anche le recenti tesi che sostengono che si tratti di una modalità di esecuzione dei contratti, poiché tale posizione (favorita dall'influenza germanista della dottrina portoghese, incompatibile con il diritto brasiliano) non è compatibile con una prospettiva funzionale, guidata dalla causa del contratto. Si sostiene, infine, un possibile percorso ermeneutico, legando la previsione giuridica del “equivalente” alla fonte dell'arricchimento senza causa, per determinare la restituzione, al creditore, dell'eventuale corrispettivo da lui già prestato, in rapporti contrattuali.
ABSTRACT: Legality in private Law, in the past associated exclusively to the structural conformity towards the law, has had its meaning enlarged with the prohibition of the abuse of rights. Nowadays, this principle is related to a wider notion, corresponding to the juridical worthiness (meritevolezza) of private autonomy’s acts, which puts to practice the technique of balancing and the promotional function of Law.
ABSTRACT: The enforcement of civil liability in a constitutionally-oriented technique demands that the judge respects all of the normative requisites, including causality, thus avoiding their conceptual confusion (particularly in relation to fault) and refuting their substitution by other elements (such as a wide sense of the word “imputation”). The dogmatic escape from such directives has created, more often than not, an apparent space for equity rulings by the judge – who, making use of presumptions or merely abandoning all legal criteria in favor of other parameters, ends up finding in the empty evocation of principles an undesirable way of ruling according to their own convictions and against the values and the logic of the legal system.
RÉSUMÉ: Une application de la responsabilité civile conformément à la légalité constitutionnelle impose au juge de respecter les réquisits prévus par la loi, y-inclus le lien de causalité, en prevenant ainsi leur confusion conceptuelle (particulièrement avec la faute) et en réfutant leur substitution par d’autres éléments (tels comme une notion trop vague d’imputation). La fugue scientifique de telles directives n’a permis, en général, que de jugements d’une supposé équité par le juge – qui, à partir de présomptions ou en proposant le simple abandon des critères légaux en faveur d’autres paramètres, trouve dans l’invocation vide des principes un chemin tout à fait
indésirable de décider en accordance avec ses propres convictions et en détriment des valeurs et de la logique du système.
RIASSUNTO: Un'applicazione della responsabilità civile in conformità con la legalità costituzionale impone al giudice di rispettare i requisiti previsti dalla legge, incluso il nesso causale, impedendo così la loro confusione concettuale (in particolare con colpa) e rifiutando la loro sostituzione da altri elementi (tali come una vaga nozione di imputazione). La fuga scientifica di tali direttive ha, in generale, portato solo a giudizi di una presunta equità da parte del giudice - che, sulla base di presunzioni o proponendo il semplice abbandono dei criteri legali a favore di altri parametri, trova nella vuota invocazione dei principi un percorso completamente indesiderabile per decidere in accordo con le proprie convinzioni e per sminuire i valori e la logica del sistema.
ABSTRACT: The legal rules about the invalidity of legal acts, far from deriving from an arbitrary decision by the legislator or from some natural and unchangeable law, have their origin in an intense preoccupation on the evaluative control over legal effects produced by private autonomy. The legislator has initiated such a control, in abstract, as the law establishes the causes of invalidity, and the judge must complete it, taking into account all interests and values that may interfere with the concrete case. Based on such premises, this work proposes the overcoming of the exclusively structural thought in the subject, with the abandonment of the degrees of analysis of legal acts and the flexibilization of the strict separation between invalidity and revocability. This work also defends the possibility of judicial modulation of the consequences imposed by the legal rules about the invalidity of private acts, through the perspective of the effects produced by the act.
RÉSUMÉ: Le régime legal des invalidités de l’acte juridique, loin de découler d’un simple arbitre du législateur ou de quelque loi naturelle et imutable, a son origine dans une intense préocupation à propos du jugement de valeur sur les effets produits par l’autonomie privée. Ce contrôle a été commencé par le legislateur en abstrait, quand il a prévu les causes d’invalidité, et doit être completé par le juge, en considérant les intérêts et les valeurs incidents sur le cas concret. À partir de ces premisses, cet étude propose qu’il faut surmonter la pensée purement structuraliste dans cette matière, particulièrement avec l’abandon des plans d’analyse de l’acte juridique et avec la fléxibilisation de la separation rigide entre les catégories de la nullité et de l’annullabilité. À la fin, on soutien la possibilité de modulation des conséquences originées du régime legal des invalidités par le juge, devant chaque cas concret, à partir du prisme des effects produits par l’acte juridique.
RIASSUNTO: Il regime legale delle invalidità negoziali, lontano di risultare di mero arbitrio del legislatore o di qualche legge naturale e immutevole, si origina di una intensa preoccupazione con il controllo valorativo degli effetti giuridici prodotti per l’autonomia privata. Questo controllo è stato iniziato, in astratto, per il legislatore, quando prevede le cause di invalidità, e deve essere completato per il giudice, considerando gli interessi ed i valori incidenti sul caso concreto. Sulla base di queste premesse, il presente lavoro propone il superamento del pensiero esclusivamente struturale nel tema, particolarmente con il abbandono dei piani di analisi del negozio giuridico e con l’attenuazione della separazione rigida tra le categorie della nullità e dell’annullabilità. Alla fine, il lavoro sostiene la possibilità di il giudice modulare, davanti al caso concreto, le conseguenze derivanti dal regime legale delle invalidità negoziali sulla base del prisma degli effetti prodotti dall’atto.
ABSTRACT: This study is dedicated to identifying the main applications of the so-called cause of contracts in contemporary civil law. To this end, the investigation departs from a brief account of the main concepts attributed to the contractual cause in the French and Italian traditions. Then, starting from the assumption that, in its many meanings, the cause always corresponds to the functional profile of the contract, this study seeks to identify its most relevant applications, both in the field of contractual invalidity and in relation to the possible supervening vicissitudes of the contract. For that purpose, the article proposes that, in Brazilian law, the most relevant space for the application of the case, besides its great importance in the matter of contractual qualification, is to guide the legal discipline and the remedies applicable to the vicissitudes of the dynamic moment of the contract. In the end, this study seeks to establish a parallel between the applications of the cause and the contractual principles, identifying which consequences usually attributed to the latter (particularly the objective good faith) could be understood as simple consequences of the functional analysis of contracts.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude se consacre à l'identification des principales applications de la cause des contrats en droit civil contemporain. À cette fin, l’enquête commence par un bref exposé des principaux concepts déjà attribués à la cause contractuelle dans les traditions française et italienne. Ensuite, partant de l’hypothèse que, dans ses nombreux sens, la cause correspond toujours au profil fonctionnel du contrat, l’article cherche à identifier ses applications les plus pertinentes, soit dans le domaine de l’invalidité contractuelle, soit dans celui des éventuelles vicissitudes du contrat. En ce sens, l’étude propose qu'en droit brésilien, l'espace le plus pertinent pour l'application de la cause, outre sa grande importance en matière de qualification contractuelle, est celui de guider la discipline juridique et les remédies applicables aux vicissitudes du moment dynamique du contrat. À la fin, l’article cherche à établir un parallèle entre les applications de la cause et les principes contractuels, en identifiant quelles conséquences généralement attribuées à ceux-ci (en particulier la bonne foi objective) pourraient être comprises comme de simples conséquences de l'analyse fonctionnelle des contrats.
RIASSUNTO: Questo studio è dedicato all'identificazione delle principali applicazioni della causa dei contratti nel diritto civile contemporaneo. A tal fine, l'inchiesta inizia da un breve resoconto dei principali concetti già attribuiti alla causa contrattuale nelle tradizioni francese e italiana. Poi, partendo dal presupposto che, nei suoi molteplici significati, la causa corrisponda sempre al profilo funzionale del contratto, il saggio cerca di identificare le sue applicazioni più rilevanti, sia nel campo dell'invalidità contrattuale sia in relazione alle possibili sopravvenienze del contratto. Quindi, si propone che, nel diritto brasiliano, lo spazio più rilevante per l'applicazione della causa, oltre alla sua grande importanza in materia di qualificazione, sia quello di guidare la disciplina giuridica ed i rimedi applicabili alle vicissitudini del momento dinamico del contratto. Alla fine, il lavoro cerca di stabilire un parallelo tra l'applicazione della causa e i principi contrattuali, identificando quali conseguenze solitamente attribuite a quest'ultimi (in particolare la buona fede oggettiva) potrebbero essere intese come semplici conseguenze dell'analisi funzionale dei contratti.
ABSTRACT: This article proposes to analyze the relation between contractual function and social function of the contract, seeking to delimitate those concepts and to point out their circumstantial approximation in contemporary Brazilian Civil Law, as well as their relevance for the axiological control of juridical acts.
ABSTRACT: Subjective legal situations, which must always be studied in a relative perspective, are an important tool for the interpreter in the evaluation of private autonomy acts. Their study in a functional view offers resources for identifying values and interests that must guide each one of them, be it in their genesis or during their exercise. That allows applications in varied fields, such as the validity of juridical acts, the abuse of rights and the juridical worthiness of private acts. This work seeks to offer a functional focus on the matter and also to point out some of its controversies.
ABSTRACT: With the recent development of new applications equipped with artificial intelligence, debates are growing around not only their legal repercussions, but also their possible impacts on the training of legal professionals and on their careers in the near future. This essay seeks to analyze some possible repercussions on the teaching of Law of the recent growth of artificial intelligence technologies. In particular, the paper analyzes: proposals for the creation of specific disciplines in the curricula of Law Schools for the study of the interaction between law and technology; proposals for inserting student training in the use of intelligent systems in the curricula of Law Schools; and, finally, the thesis that artificial intelligence would replace the current functions of legal education. The work adopts the constitutionalized private law perspective and seeks to highlight the risk that the aforementioned trends promote the replacement of legal system values, notably the protection of human dignity, by market values.
ABSTRACT: The article that follows is devoted to addressing some common misconceptions about the constitutionalized private law methodology, in particular certain interpretative procedures unduly attributed to this hermeneutical school. It departs from the relevance of the valorization of positive norms by the interpreter and then analyses the role and the limits of subsumption in the civil-constitutional perspective, as well as the inevitability of the weighing before the complexity of legal sources.
ABSTRACT: This study proposes a functional perspective on extinctive prescription, which identifies in that institute and, particularly, in the determination of the initial term of the limitation period, as well as in the suspensive, impeding and interruptive causes of the period, a judgment of legal worthiness of the exercise of active and passive legal situations by the parties. This paper then addresses some contemporary problems that could benefit from this perspective, namely the statute of limitations applicable to the indemnity claim in contractual liability, the lack of protection of people with intellectual or mental disabilities against prescription after the reform promoted by the Statute of the Person with Disabilities, the lack of protection of the relatively incapable without a legal representative against prescription and, finally, the undue introduction of the discipline of intercurrent prescription in the Brazilian Civil Code.
RÉSUMÉ: Cette étude propose une perspective fonctionnelle sur la prescription extinctive, qui identifie dans l'institut et, en particulier, dans la détermination du point de départ de la prescription, ainsi que dans les causes de suspension et interruption du délai, un jugement de valeur de l'exercice des situations juridiques actives et passives par les parties. L’étude aborde ensuite quelques problèmes contemporains qui pourraient bénéficier de cette perspective, à savoir le délai de prescription applicable à l’action en dommages et intérêts en responsabilité contractuelle, l'absence de protection des personnes handicapées mentales ou intellectuelles contre les délais de prescription après la réforme promue par le Statut de la Personne Handicapée, l'absence de protection des personnes relativement incapables sans représentant légal contre la prescription et, enfin, l'introduction indue de la discipline de la prescription intercurrente dans le Code civil brésilien.
RIASSUNTO: Il presente studio propone una prospettiva funzionale sulla prescrizione estintiva, che individua nell'istituto e, in particolare, nella determinazione del termine iniziale e nelle cause sospensive, ostative ed interruttive del termine, un giudizio di meritevolezza dell'esercizio delle situazioni giuridiche attive e passive da parte delle parti. Il lavoro affronta poi alcune problematiche contemporanee che potrebbero trarre vantaggio da questa prospettiva, ovvero la prescrizione applicabile alla domanda di indennizzo nella responsabilità contrattuale, la mancata tutela delle persone con disabilità intellettiva o psichica contro la prescrizione dopo la riforma promossa dallo Statuto della Persona con Disabilità, la mancata tutela contro la prescrizione del relativamente incapace privo di legale rappresentante e, infine, l'indebita introduzione della disciplina della prescrizione intercorrente nel codice civile.
ABSTRACT: This article seeks to approach the notion of inexistent legal acts in Brazilian law, departing from the comparison of that category in relation to legal acts' invalidity, in a functional perspective. This study presents the development of the so-called inexistence in the Brazilian private law doctrine and proposes, in the end, its insertion in the field of legal acts' invalidity.
ABSTRACT: The validity control of legal acts is thoroughly ruled by the Brazilian Civil Code. The same cannot be said about the validity of other categories of legally admitted acts, about which the legal regime offers too few advances. This article seeks to present the fundaments for the application of legal acts’ validity control to those other categories, as well as to identify the limits of such an application, taking into account a comparative analysis of their structural and functional characteristics.
ABSTRACT: This study relies on a functional perspective of legal acts’ invalidity, which authorizes the interpreter to modulate the consequences of a legally established regime of nullity or anullability by means of a rational judgment of worthiness of the effects produced by the act and the concretely involved interests. In the case of acts produced by a mentally disabled person, who is currently considered fully capable in the Brazilian civil law order, this work sustains the necessity of evaluating their validity in concreto, in accordance to the discernment and the vulnerability that the agent presents. Such an approach is guided by the imperative protection of the human person, so that the interpretation activity can be accomplished even in the absence of a curatorship regime.
ABSTRACT: This article seeks to investigate in which ways the discernment of the right owner or of the debtor influences the legal discipline of prescription and peremption. For that purpose, it analyses the legal discipline of the initial term of prescription and peremption in Brazilian law, particularly in the light of the principle contra non valentem agere non currit praescriptio. This investigation proposes innovative solutions to problems related to prescription against the relatively incapable as well as people with psychic or intellectual disabilities after the reform made by the Inclusion of People with Disabilities Act.
ABSTRACT: The urges to both emancipate and protect do not appear to be fully reconcilable in legal terms. Even though the contractual protection of mentally disabled persons might follow various mechanisms, there are limits to the negotiating freedom an individual can be allowed in a relational environment without having corresponding legal duties arise for them. The invalidity of the contract in such case, duly modulated by the concrete degree of discernment of the individual, still proves to be an important starting point in the protection of persons with mental disabilities, if one intends to promote adequate protection without harm to legal security. On the other hand, one might question the usefulness of categories such as the supported decision-making for an effective protection of the disabled person,
considering the terms in which it is currently disciplined.
contemporaneidade.
ABSTRACT: This study intends to analyze the appropriate legal qualification of the subject commonly called “postmortem protection” of personality rights in Brazilian law, particularly regarding the ownership of the interests under protection. It intends to consider as well to what extent the rapid advancement of new technologies capable of perpetuating or recreating aspects of the memory of a dead person (such as the artificial reconstruction of the image or voice) makes the current normative system on the subject provided for by the Brazilian Civil Code of 2002 outdated or inadequate. A precise understanding of what should be understood by “normative obsolescence” in this matter can offer some methodological guidelines, based on civil-constitutional thinking, for facing the unusual challenges of contemporary times.
ABSTRACT: The loss of the right to guarantee by the insured in cases where the latter omits information relevant to the delimitation of the risk or provides inaccurate statements, as stated by article 766 of the Brazilian Civil Code, although traditional in Brazilian law, still causes controversy as to its legal nature. * is study proposes an analysis of that fattispecie in the light of the general theory of contractual invalidity, in order to identify the legal regime applicable to the so-called “loss of the right”,
investigating the points of proximity and distance between this legal sanction and the general characteristics of the nullity and voidability of the legal acts.
ABSTRACT: This study starts from the general theory of unjust enrichment as one of the three main sources of obligations in Brazilian civil law (together with the business source and civil liability) and then demonstrates the relevance of this assumption for the correct qualification of certain duties of restitution that, although not derived from the general clause of prohibition of unjust enrichment, also belong to the same source of obligation. As a practical example of application, the article addresses some cases of restitutionary claims arising from contractual termination, in which the incorrect jurisprudential qualification of the fattispecie has led to misunderstandings as to the identification of the applicable statute of limitations. The methodology used was literature review and jurisprudential research.
ABSTRACT: Law n. 13.709/2018, known as the General Law for the Protection of Personal Data, in the attempt of establishing a comprehensive system for the protection of the holder of personal data with regard to the collection, circulation and processing of such data, offers a whole chapter specifically devoted to the enunciation of "rights". The analysis of these provisions, however, reveals that the law enunciates (not exactly rights, but rather) remedies aimed at protecting rights traditionally recognized by Brazilian law, especially the right to privacy. The technique of remedies, more usual in common law systems, has particularities that deserve a detailed study, especially with regard to the numerus apertus character of such instruments, in order to allow a more adequate interpretation and application of the new law. This study departs from the analysis of the adopted legislative technique and the differences between rights and remedies to situate the legal dispositions in the Brazilian context and, thus, to try and offer initial subsidies for the interpreter when facing the recent law.
ABSTRACT: This article addresses the business model of the so-called sharing economy and its legal impacts, notably with regard to safeguarding the vulnerability of the involved parties, taking into account the possible disparities between users of the sharing platforms. To this end, this study analyzes the possibility of using remedies designed for the contractual protection of consumers in order to solve problems arising from such relations, provided that they are systematically coherent and appropriate to the axiology of the legal order, as well as the concrete interests of the parties in sharing economy contracts. As an exemplary application, this study will address some problems related to the validity of clauses in the terms and conditions of use stipulated by sharing platforms.
ABSTRACT: This article seeks to develop critical considerations about the current proposals regarding the subjectivation or attribution of legal personhood to non-human entities, such as animals or mechanisms with artificial intelligence. For this purpose, the paper departs from some fundamental aspects of the classical doctrine about legal personhood, in particular the fact that personifying a certain entity is not to be confused with increasing legal protection over it, as well as the understanding that personification is justified only when necessary to fulfill legally relevant purposes and when minimally supported by social reality. In the end, the case of intelligent mechanisms is analyzed in greater detail, in order to conclude that the proposals for the attribution of legal personality to them seek, in reality, to solve problems of another nature: civil liability. At all times, the issues are analyzed in comparison with the protection of the human person, especially in the aspects in which the criticized proposals endanger, to some extent, the centrality of human dignity as the maximum value of the Brazilian constitutional order.
ABSTRACT: The present work seeks to shed new lights over the institute of abuse of rights, identifying its current position in the general frame of axiological control mechanisms over subjective juridical situations, as an intermediary step between the (negative, structure-centered) judgment of mere lawfulnessand the (positive, social-function-promoting) judgment of meritevolezza. Ac-cordingly, the abuse of rights is presented as the exercise against the function,that is, the synthesis of juridical interests that qualifies the subjective juridicalsituation. The responsibility for damages deriving from the abuse is affirmedon an objective concept of fault basis, and the in natura consequences ofabusive acts are presented, as well as the potentialities of this institute when it comes to non-patrimonial juridical situations. This work adopts as its theoretical mark the diritto civile-costituzionale school, which best congregates,in its doctrine, the two main concerns that have directed it: in the formal field,the efforts of systematical restructuring and, in the material field, the effective promotion of the values that guide our juridical system.
ABSTRACT: Once its subjective nature is affirmed, the analysis of medical civil liability demands caution. Contemporary private right doesn’t admit the traditional psychological concept of fault, demanding instead the attention to behavioral standards, procedures that, once observed, evidence the professional’s diligent conduct. Such procedures, hard do typify in abstract, must be extracted out of the professional practice of the medical community itself, thus conducting the judge towards a necessary dialog with medical specialists. It becomes, thus, possible to differentiate what is colloquially called “medical mistake” or malpractice from the hypothesis in which the physician has really acted with juridical fault and must be held responsible for the damages suffered by the patient, in the light of the general theory of civil liability.
ABSTRACT: The loss of a chance theory, which must be applied only exceptionally, is not suitable for medical civil liability, as its verification is much more complex in the hypothesis in which a concrete damage occurs (such as, in principle, the cases of medical liability), and taking into consideration that its application in this field proves to be very close of the one of medical malpractice (which is not desirable, since it clouds the importance of the verification of professional fault through a judgement on the damage that the patient has suffered).