Event in Brasilia marks release of book on Collective Habeas for arrested mothers

Eloísa Machado de Almeida, Professor of Constitutional Law at FGV’s Sao Paulo Law School (Direito SP), participated in a conference with Minister Ricardo Lewandowski at the UN House in Brasilia. The event, held on April 9, marked the launch of the book “Pela Liberdade: a história do habeas corpus coletivo para mães e crianças” (“For Freedom: The Story of Collective Habeas Corpus for Mothers and Children”). The event, held by the Alana Institute and the Human Rights Advocacy Collective (CADHu), discussed the advances promoted by the first collective habeas corpus in the history of the Federal Supreme Court, HC 143.641, which acknowledged the importance of the Legal Framework for Early Childhood and benefited thousands of pregnant women or mothers who were arrested and separated from their children. Professor Eloisa Machado, who was also one of the attorneys responsible for habeas corpus, claimed that “this book is one of the most relevant experiences in human rights in recent years. Telling the story of this collective habeas corpus allows us to understand law as an emancipatory practice and the strength of civil society in promoting and achieving human rights.” The full text of the book is available for reading on the website.