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Civil liability of the State for environmental neglect

The Federal Constitution of 1988 is a 'water divisor' since it assumes the role of Environmental Constitution, causing a rapture of the concept of civil liability. Starting from a qualitative, dialectical and jurisprudential approach, this article analyzes the Principle of Liability according to Hans Jonas in order to dialogue with the Institute of Civil Environmental Liability, identifying, with the support of the constitutional and infraconstitutional legislation, the doctrinary controversies about the nature of state liability (objective or subjective) towards cases of neglect by the public administration and the event of environmental damage. It is possible to conclude that the Higher Court of Justice assumes a larger dimension of the civil liability of the State, thus showing the tendency towards the objective civil liability based on the risk. Therefore, Brazil, regarded some doctrinary differences, adopts the objective civil liability for the State through the theory of administrative risk based on the illicit act and the acceptance of the risk.

Civil liability; liability principle; environmental neglect; urban settlements


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