Environmental Protection in Brazil: A Prosecutor’s Perspective

On 26 October 2022, APCEL Visiting Researcher, Priscila da Mata Cavalcante, delivered a presentation about her unique perspective on environmental protection in Brazil. Priscila has been a prosecutor in the Brazilian State of Paraná for almost 13 years, during which she led the environmental unit of the Prosecutor’s Office in the Atlantic Forest.

During the seminar, Priscila talked about the unique nature and role of the Brazilian Prosecutors, who sue not just private polluters but also the government for both civil and criminal offenses. Specifically, she focused on the constitutional and legal protections that guarantee the prosecution’s independence, and also highlighted the critical role that other government bodies, academics, and civil society institutions play in ensuring the prosecution can fulfil its mission. In the second part of her talk, Priscila discussed key environmental cases from her professional experience, demonstrating the challenges that (environmental) prosecutors face in areas pervaded by complex conflicts, such as matters involving coastal environmental.

Finally, the seminar concluded with an engaging Q&A session, during which Priscila shared her insights in response to questions about navigating political and economic forces in the line of duty; the importance of social outreach and empowering the community to identify environmental problems and bring those to the prosecution; and the place that environmental law holds in a Brazilian legal education.