To the Rule of Environmental Law

Abstract

In the 1988 Charter, environmental protection expresses constituent commands that are not optional and compel all governmentstructures, as well as society, to assume postures in accordance with the dictates of environmental protection, belonging to the core of constitutional identity. The competition of political, social and economic interests, also safeguarded by the constitutional text, with the protection of natural resources aimed at a dignified existence and the development of present and future generations, contextualizes deficiencies and omissions in the provision of environmental policies that require a reaction from the constituted powers so that the unconstitutional fault is not perpetuated. Jurisdiction represents one of the ways to implement the Environmental Constitution, formally and substantially legitimized by the principles of judicial review, as illustrated by recent Brazilian courts’ approaches to the silence or default by the Brazilian legislator or Executive Power. The change in traditional paradigms, however, affects legal relationships and is not immune to criticism, which requires reflection and analysis by the legal community. The study uses the deductive method, proposing to examine the problem in the light of the neoconstitutional guidelines of environmental protection, and carries out exploratory, bibliographical and documental research to appreciate recent jurisdictional constructions based on the effectiveness of environmental protection in Brazil.