Brazilian Judges visit the school for week-long summer programme
The Dickson Poon School of Law hosted a group of 30 Brazilian Judges from The Association of Federal Judges of Brazil (AJUFE) this July. The programme took place in Somerset House, and provided the Judges with a short-course from our Law faculty on common law, European law, law and development, and Brexit. The week also included a talk on international arbitration by Frederico Singarajah (Barrister at Hardwicke) and visits to the Supreme Court, tours of legal London and the Museum of London. The School is proud to put King’s on the map with the judiciary in Brazil, with an organisation of 1500 members.
Raquel Coelho Dal Rio Silveira, Federal Judge and AJUFE's Director of International Affairs said of the programme;
‘AJUFE has among its objectives to provide its associates with opportunities to learn about legal systems from other countries, allowing the exchange and improvement of experiences and legal knowledge.
We are already in the 3rd edition of the AJUFE London Programme at King's College London, a renowned university with highly qualified Professors, which is an honour for us. From 3 -7 July, we had the chance to learn a lot from Professor Octavio Ferraz about Law and Development and the important role that Judiciary Power plays in the Rule of Law. We also heard from Frederico Singarajah, the only Brazilian Barrister in the UK – which make us really proud - about International Arbitration. We also learned about the steps to become Barrister in the UK, which is really interesting, considering that we do not have the difference in Brazil between Barristers and Solicitors.
Professors Alex Türk and Andrea Biondi talked about the European Law, which is really important for us because, although we also live in a country that is part of a common market (Mercosur), we are steps behind a true integration, such as the European Union. So, regarding the conflicts resolution, the application and effectiveness of law, within the European community, we had been able to learn a lot with those talks. We also heard Professor Takis Tridimas and his considerations and expectations regarding Brexit, and reflections on how the departure from the UK will take effect, the possible consequences, which was very interesting and enriching.
As the ’grand finale’ we had the brilliant talk with Mr James Lee, who gave us an overview about the English Common Law and the Precedents. To have an idea about how important this theme is in Brazil, the culture of precedents were introduced in our country only in 2015, with the New Code of Civil Procedure, so we have much to learn from the English tradition. In summary, it was an enriching week in which we were able to learn a lot from brilliant lectures and improve our legal knowledge. Many thanks to King’s College London for this amazing opportunity.’
Photos from the week can be found on the School’s Flickr page.
The Law School’s International links.
