Analysis of the anti-racism law’s efficacy, effectiveness and relevance from the view of legal professionals

Abstract

This article aims to present and discuss the results of the Law and Racial Mediation research: The role and effectiveness of using law as a mediator for race relations in contemporary Brazil. We collected data and analyzed the point of view of legal professionals on the anti-racism law. Our sample, composed of 103 legal professionals, was non-probabilistic. The findings reveal that respondents, categorized as a group with a progressive vision within the law, have assessed that the anti-racism law is not efficient or effective. And they evaluated that the law should be improved. They show a predilection for non-punitive axes and for solutions that do not involve judicialization. They suggested restorative justice, the knowledge about discrimination and antidiscrimination; and development of skills to reduce the divergence between legal knowledge and the Brazilian reality.