In this special issue, we have gathered contributions that trace this path from multiple angles: the recurring oscillation between expansion and retrenchment of ESG obligations, the constitutional weight of sustainability commitments in EU law, the persistent gap between disclosure and real-world outcomes, and the practical limits of due diligence in complex value chains. We also look beyond the usual terrain of corporate ESG law, following accountability's shifting sands into outer space and artificial intelligence — two frontiers where governance frameworks remain fragmented or altogether absent.

We hope, therefore, to offer readers a clearer map of the terrain ESG law is currently crossing.

The post  ESG e o Direito: As Areias Movediças da Responsabilização  appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

Taking into account the legislation currently in force in the Republic of Mozambique, this paper offers a number of elements for a proper understanding of the international legal framework governing the exercise of jurisdiction by Mozambican maritime courts under the Law of the Sea.

To this end, it examines, in turn, the distinction between the Law of the Sea and Maritime Law, the sources of the Law of the Sea as an integral part of Mozambique's legal system, the legal status of the maritime zones that make up the maritime domain of the Republic of Mozambique, and the legal framework governing maritime offences and maritime administrative infringements under Mozambican law.

Given the wide range of legal sources within the Mozambican legal system that maritime courts must consider when assessing conduct that may potentially constitute maritime offences or maritime administrative infringements within Mozambique's national maritime domain, the task of selecting, interpreting and applying the relevant legal provisions is particularly complex.

The post Algumas Notas sobre os Tribunais Marítimos em Moçambique e o Direito Internacional do Mar appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

The post A criação de um regime jurídico-internacional para o enquadramento da subida do nível do mar appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

However, companies’ operations become even more complex when it comes to operations in conflict-affected areas. This book explores how companies can contribute to human rights and environmental violations in conflict-affected and high-risk areas. It challenges the assumption used often by companies which assumes that they can remain neutral in conflict zones, arguing instead that their presence and activities inevitably influence conflict dynamics and may contribute to human rights violations, including war crimes.

Central to the analysis is the concept of heightened human rights due diligence that requires companies to assess not only their direct human rights impacts but also analyse the conflict by using a conflict-sensitive approach to understand how companies may contribute to the conflict.

The study also integrates international humanitarian law into the business and human rights framework, emphasising that companies operating in conflict zones must understand and respect IHL and violations of it can result in civil or criminal liability, including prosecution of corporate executives under international criminal law.

Through detailed case studies – from World War II industrialists to modern examples such as Lafarge, Lundin and Amesys – the book illustrates how companies have been held accountable for human rights abuses in conflict-affected areas.

The book concludes by highlighting the importance of the adoption of a binding international treaty on business and human rights, and calls for clearer guidance on business operations in armed conflicts. It emphasises that responsible business conduct in conflict zones is a strategic necessity for companies that seek to avoid reputational, operational, and liability risks.

The post Business and Human Rights in Conflit-Affected Areas appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

The post Ecodesigning the Future: Legal Frontiers in the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

Although this distinction appears clear, it is difficult to apply because the boundaries between waste management operations are often blurred and key concepts in EU Waste Law remain vague.

Effective application of the destruction concept requires a precise understanding of the waste categories on which it relies, as each carries distinct legal consequences. This clarity is essential not only for implementing the ESPR, but also for applying Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on the promotion of repair, which relies on ESPR definitions.

This paper analyses the scope of the destruction concept, argues for its systematic integration into EU Waste Law, and examines its implications for legal coherence and certainty.

The post Towards Coherence in EU Waste Law: Assessing theESPR’s Legal Concept of “Destruction” and itsSystematic Integration into EU Waste Law appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

We start by highlighting the significant restrictions the transition to the circular economy imposes on the fundamental rights to property and freedom to conduct a business. The second section analyses CJEU case law on proportionality in environmental matters and explores the integration of environmental principles into proportionality assessments.

The third section applies this analysis to the ESPR, arguing that ecodesign requirements represent a natural evolution of EU environmental policy in light of the essentially preventative nature of the polluter- pays principle.

We conclude that ecodesign requirements are grounded in EU primary law and that the proportionality test serves not only to limit excessive regulation but also to affirm the legitimacy of ambitious environmental action.

The post Anchoring Ecodesign in EU Primary Law:Proportionality and Environmental Principles appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

The article reviews the tools and strategies that improve legal clarity, including the use of preambles, explanatory notes, multimodal communication, and the role of translation. By examining various case studies, it demonstrates how laws are communicated to different types of audiences, legally trained professionals, technical experts, and laypeople, and how these groups require different approaches for effective understanding.

O texto explora ainda a forma como uma abordagem em camadas (layered approachThe article explores how a layered approach to legislative drafting may take the audience needs into account, ensuring that laws are accessible, clear, and effective for all stakeholders.

Ultimately, it argues that legislative clarity should be viewed as a multi-dimensional process, influenced by a wide range of communicative tools, and not confined to the provisions of the legal text itself.

The post The Dimensions of Clarity for Legislation appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

Its first edition—still available in e-book format through the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon Press—has been acquired by leading law libraries in Portugal, Brazil, and around the world. To date, it has reached 164 institutions across 23 countries on four continents: Africa, North America, South America, and Europe.

The volume pays tribute to Professor Jorge Reis Novais, one of the leading contemporary scholars of fundamental rights, marking his early retirement from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon. At the same time, it brings together essays and articles that explore his theoretical contributions and examine their application to real-world legal issues, particularly the complex and challenging conflicts that arise between the fundamental rights of different individuals—commonly referred to as horizontal effect or horizontal conflicts of fundamental rights.

This perspective runs throughout each of the seven chapters that make up the volume, focusing on the challenges of safeguarding fundamental rights in relationships between private parties. Each chapter addresses both theoretical and practical issues, to varying degrees, concerning the horizontal application of fundamental rights—also referred to as the application of fundamental rights in private relationships or, using the German term, Drittwirkung, literally meaning "effects on third parties."

The post Os Déficits da Proibição do Déficit appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.

The volume covers a diverse range of topics, including international trade, armed conflicts, environmentally displaced persons, public health, chemicals regulation, food law, transport law, corporate environmental litigation and sustainability due diligence. Across these fields, a recurring theme emerges: the tension between environmental objectives and competing economic, political and social interests. The chapters analyse how different legal systems are responding to these tensions and assess the adequacy of existing legal frameworks in promoting sustainable and accountable governance.

Em conjunto, as contribuições demonstram que a proteção ambiental não pode continuar a ser considerada uma área jurídica isolada. Pelo contrário, é agora uma necessidade estrutural que permeia e transforma cada vez mais um vasto leque de disciplinas jurídicas. Ao reunir perspetivas internacionais, europeias e nacionais, este volume oferece uma avaliação exaustiva dos progressos alcançados e dos desafios que ainda subsistem no alinhamento dos sistemas jurídicos com a dimensão e a urgência das crises ambientais contemporâneas. Destina-se a servir de recurso para académicos, profissionais e decisores políticos que procuram desenvolver respostas jurídicas mais coerentes e eficazes à degradação ambiental e às alterações climáticas.

The post Tratado de Direito do Ambiente, Vol. III. – Livro II appeared first on Lisbon Public Law.