The Brazilian Historical and Geographic Institute (IHGB) has been acknowledged by the Supreme Court (STF) as amicus curiae in the Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) no. 4815 - which discusses the constitutionality of published biographies not authorized by the person being biographed or his/her heirs. 

The amicus curiae memorial was drawn up within the scope of the Clinic of the Legal Practice Center of FGV's Rio de Janeiro Law School (FGV DIREITO RIO) by a group of undergraduate students, supervised by Professor Celina Beatriz Mendes de Almeida and with the collaboration of professors Ivar Hartmann, Fernando Leal, Diego Werneck and Thiago Bottino.

The unique contribution that the School offers the Supreme Court addresses the free publication of biographies as an expression of academic freedom, warning against the risk that master and doctoral theses which address important characters of Brazilian history might be banned from the academy based on this legal device. The current interpretation of articles 20 and 21 of the Civil Code allows the prohibition of biographies not authorized by the person being biographed.

The work is the result of the integration between the undergraduate course and the Center of Justice and Society (CJUS) of Rio de Janeiro Law School.

About the amicus curiae

Amicus curiae is someone (usually associations or institutions) interested in contributing with information that will assist in judicial decisions by the STF, adding data or differentiated points of view on difficult or controversial topics. It aims to democratize the trial, allowing civil society to be involved in the process.