With gladness we present the second number of Brazilian Journal of Fundamental Rights & Justice , a publication of the Graduate Program in Law (Master’s and Doctoral Degree) of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul – PUCRS. We are also glad to announce that our President of the International Editorial Board will be Professor Doctor José Joaquim Gomes Canotilho, great jurist and professor of the Law School of the University of Coimbra.

Moreover, we are announcing new members of the National Editorial Board, with the accession of the Professors Doctors Jose Luis de Morais Bolzan and Sandra Martini Vial, both of the University of Rio dos Sinos. We also have the pleasure to inform the accession, as members of the International Editorial Board, of the P rofessors Doctors R odolfo A rango R ivadeneira of the National U niversity of C olombia and Stefano Maria Cicconetti of the University of Roma Tre.

This issue of the Brazilian Journal of Fundamental Rights & Justice contains themes that we believe will be of special interest of our readers. Therefore, following the objective of supporting research activity in the creation of a common forum for information and discussion among teachers, researchers, students, and legal professionals in general, we are presenting significant contributions from distinguished social scientists and jurists in the areas of Social Rights, Environmental Law, and Philosophy of Law. We also want to take this opportunity to thank our readers to the extraordinary acceptance that received the first number of our Journal.

We invite all readers to enjoy the themes presented in this issue, and to contact us with any suggestions or feedback.

Prof. Dr. Ingo Wolfgang Sarlet
Coordinator for the Law Graduate Program at PUCRS