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Octavio Ferraz

Professor Octavio Ferraz

Professor of Law

  • Co-Director of the Transnational Law Institute

Research interests

  • Law

Biography

Professor Octavio Ferraz is a Professor of Law. He holds an LLB and MPhil in Law (University of São Paulo), an MA in Medical Ethics & Law (King's College London, prize Benjamin Geijsen) and a PhD in Law (University College London).

Before joining King's he was a senior research officer to the UN special rapporteur for the right to health, Professor Paul Hunt, at the University of Essex, and then moved to Warwick Law School, where he was an Assistant and then an Associate Professor for 8 years. 

Before moving to academia, he practiced law in Sao Paulo, Brazil, mostly in the fields of corporate public law and medical law for over ten years. He is still a member of the Brazilian Bar and contributes regularly to the Brazilian press.

Research

Professor Ferraz's research interests are in the field of human rights and development, especially the role and impact of law and courts in poverty, equality and social justice. He adopts mostly comparative, transnational and international perspectives, and an interdisciplinary approach, engaging with political philosophy, economics, sociology and political sciences and combining empirical methods and theoretical inquiry in his projects.

Teaching

  • Public Law
  • Human Rights Law in International and Transnational Perspective
  • Inequality, Human Development and the Rule of Law in Transnational perspective

PURE profile

See Octavio's research profile

Research

KBI City Hall, Erechim, Brazil (2)
Governance, leadership and democracy

This research group explores Brazil's transition to democracy, the quality of democracy, transitional justice and human rights.

Bolsonaro Yellow Background
Authoritarianism and populism research group

Examining the rise and effects of authoritarianism and populism.

News

Can Science and Law Save the Amazon and its Peoples?

After giving a lecture at Stanford University on the struggle to overcome political and economic resistance by those who profit from the destruction of the...

Octavio Ferraz giving a talk in Stanford

Banzeiro Okoto - the Amazon as the Centre of the World

Award winning Brazilian journalist Eliane Brum discussed her new book "Banzeiro Okoto - the Amazon as the Centre of the World" with the Transnational Law...

Octavio Ferraz and Eliane Brum

The Transnational Law Institute presents report to the UN Human Rights Committee

The Human Rights Committee is holding its 138th session in Geneva and reviewed, among other countries, the human rights situation in Brazil; The Transnational...

HRC Shadow Report Geneva

The Future of the Amazon: Hope and Challenges for Brazil

Six months after the elections in Brazil, we held a discussion about the hope that president Lula will fulfil his promise of protecting the Amazon rain...

Future of the Amazon

Book Launch: the Disappeared of the South American Dictatorships and the Struggle to Find Them

Journalist Jan Rocha, former BBC and The Guardian correspondent in São Paulo, Brazil, launched her new book about CLAMOR, a small human rights organisation...

CLAMOR Book Thumbnail

"The Struggle for Demarcation of Indigenous Lands is for all Humanity"

Dr. Eloy Terena, a lawyer, researcher, and Indigenous land rights activist from Brazil, spoke to Transnational Law Institute Co-director Octavio Ferraz about...

Interview with Eloy Terena

Transnational Law Institute launches Global Project on Authoritarianism

Experts from around the world gathered at The Dickson Poon School of Law last week to launch a new project looking at the recent tendency towards...

GRAD Law School event-13

What are the Laws for our Sustainable Future?

What laws are in place across the world for the protection of our fragile planet? How effective are they? How can they be strengthened? A new project by the...

Aerial shot of amazon rainforest 780x440

TLI and the Campaign to Defend Democracy in Brazil

The resounding call from Brazil, "democratic rule of law always", was heard loud and clear in King's College London when Professor Octavio Ferraz read the...

Brazil Mass Rally for Democracy

Brazilian Democracy at Risk

Ahead of the upcoming elections in Brazil, the Letter to Brazilians was written and has now been signed by over 810.000 people in Brazil. The Transnational...

In support of Democracy in Brazil

Events

21Oct

A Conversation with Felipe Tuxá: Speaking of White Lethality at the ICC

Strategies of the Indigenous Movement Against Genocide in Brazil

Please note: this event has passed.

23Nov

'Brazil is back: lessons learned and Brazil’s prospects in foreign affairs' with Brazilian Ambassador Antonio Patriota

Lecture with Brazilian Ambassador Antonio Patriota and with Professor Octavio Ferraz and Dr Vinicius de Carvalho as discussants

Please note: this event has passed.

17Oct

Fixing the Climate: Strategies for an Uncertain World

A public lecture to be delivered by Prof Charles Sabel of Columbia University

Please note: this event has passed.

12Sep

Banzeiro Òkòtó - The Amazon as the Centre of the World

in conversation with award-winning Brazilian writer Eliane Brum and guests to discuss Brum's latest and highly acclaimed book Banzeiro Òkòtó - The Amazon as...

Please note: this event has passed.

14Jun

Solidarity Without Borders

Book launch and panel discussion: "Clamor: The search for the disappeared of the South American dictatorships" by Jan Rocha

Please note: this event has passed.

23Mar

A new roadmap for the Amazon forest and Brazil’s development agenda

Join us on International Day of Forests, where the challenges and opportunities of Brazil’s climate and nature agenda will be discussed.

Please note: this event has passed.

29Jun

Human Rights and Natural Resources

Leigh Day International, Clean Trade and the Transnational Law Institute are pleased to invite you to our in person series of panel talks on the human rights...

Please note: this event has passed.

27Jun

Breaking the Link between Oil & Gas and War: Putting Human Rights into ESG

Consultation for Investors, Policy Makers and Industry Participants

Please note: this event has passed.

10Sep

30 Years of the right to health in Brazil

What has changed? What remains to be changed? What are the challenges and obstacles?

Please note: this event has passed.

Research

KBI City Hall, Erechim, Brazil (2)
Governance, leadership and democracy

This research group explores Brazil's transition to democracy, the quality of democracy, transitional justice and human rights.

Bolsonaro Yellow Background
Authoritarianism and populism research group

Examining the rise and effects of authoritarianism and populism.

News

Can Science and Law Save the Amazon and its Peoples?

After giving a lecture at Stanford University on the struggle to overcome political and economic resistance by those who profit from the destruction of the...

Octavio Ferraz giving a talk in Stanford

Banzeiro Okoto - the Amazon as the Centre of the World

Award winning Brazilian journalist Eliane Brum discussed her new book "Banzeiro Okoto - the Amazon as the Centre of the World" with the Transnational Law...

Octavio Ferraz and Eliane Brum

The Transnational Law Institute presents report to the UN Human Rights Committee

The Human Rights Committee is holding its 138th session in Geneva and reviewed, among other countries, the human rights situation in Brazil; The Transnational...

HRC Shadow Report Geneva

The Future of the Amazon: Hope and Challenges for Brazil

Six months after the elections in Brazil, we held a discussion about the hope that president Lula will fulfil his promise of protecting the Amazon rain...

Future of the Amazon

Book Launch: the Disappeared of the South American Dictatorships and the Struggle to Find Them

Journalist Jan Rocha, former BBC and The Guardian correspondent in São Paulo, Brazil, launched her new book about CLAMOR, a small human rights organisation...

CLAMOR Book Thumbnail

"The Struggle for Demarcation of Indigenous Lands is for all Humanity"

Dr. Eloy Terena, a lawyer, researcher, and Indigenous land rights activist from Brazil, spoke to Transnational Law Institute Co-director Octavio Ferraz about...

Interview with Eloy Terena

Transnational Law Institute launches Global Project on Authoritarianism

Experts from around the world gathered at The Dickson Poon School of Law last week to launch a new project looking at the recent tendency towards...

GRAD Law School event-13

What are the Laws for our Sustainable Future?

What laws are in place across the world for the protection of our fragile planet? How effective are they? How can they be strengthened? A new project by the...

Aerial shot of amazon rainforest 780x440

TLI and the Campaign to Defend Democracy in Brazil

The resounding call from Brazil, "democratic rule of law always", was heard loud and clear in King's College London when Professor Octavio Ferraz read the...

Brazil Mass Rally for Democracy

Brazilian Democracy at Risk

Ahead of the upcoming elections in Brazil, the Letter to Brazilians was written and has now been signed by over 810.000 people in Brazil. The Transnational...

In support of Democracy in Brazil

Events

21Oct

A Conversation with Felipe Tuxá: Speaking of White Lethality at the ICC

Strategies of the Indigenous Movement Against Genocide in Brazil

Please note: this event has passed.

23Nov

'Brazil is back: lessons learned and Brazil’s prospects in foreign affairs' with Brazilian Ambassador Antonio Patriota

Lecture with Brazilian Ambassador Antonio Patriota and with Professor Octavio Ferraz and Dr Vinicius de Carvalho as discussants

Please note: this event has passed.

17Oct

Fixing the Climate: Strategies for an Uncertain World

A public lecture to be delivered by Prof Charles Sabel of Columbia University

Please note: this event has passed.

12Sep

Banzeiro Òkòtó - The Amazon as the Centre of the World

in conversation with award-winning Brazilian writer Eliane Brum and guests to discuss Brum's latest and highly acclaimed book Banzeiro Òkòtó - The Amazon as...

Please note: this event has passed.

14Jun

Solidarity Without Borders

Book launch and panel discussion: "Clamor: The search for the disappeared of the South American dictatorships" by Jan Rocha

Please note: this event has passed.

23Mar

A new roadmap for the Amazon forest and Brazil’s development agenda

Join us on International Day of Forests, where the challenges and opportunities of Brazil’s climate and nature agenda will be discussed.

Please note: this event has passed.

29Jun

Human Rights and Natural Resources

Leigh Day International, Clean Trade and the Transnational Law Institute are pleased to invite you to our in person series of panel talks on the human rights...

Please note: this event has passed.

27Jun

Breaking the Link between Oil & Gas and War: Putting Human Rights into ESG

Consultation for Investors, Policy Makers and Industry Participants

Please note: this event has passed.

10Sep

30 Years of the right to health in Brazil

What has changed? What remains to be changed? What are the challenges and obstacles?

Please note: this event has passed.