About OPJ
OPJ owes its origin to the studies on the judicial system developed at CES in the early 90’s. Among them, one must be highlighted: a sociolegal research study on the functioning of Portuguese courts and on the representations of citizens about those courts. This research project was conducted by a multidisciplinary team, under the coordination of Boaventura de Sousa Santos. Its results are published in the book “Os tribunais nas sociedades contemporâneas: O caso português” (Santos et al, 1996).
Taking into account the results of such research project and its contribution for the production of knowledge of the judicial system, OPJ was created in 1996 as a permanent research project in order to pursue the sociolegal research on courts and on the application of law in the Portuguese society.
The projects developed at OPJ, either in Portugal or abroad, have been mainly focused on the following themes: access to law and justice; the functional performance of the judicial organizations and of its agents, under the light of the quality and efficiency paradigms; judicial professions; alternative dispute resolution systems; judicial cooperation; trafficking of human beings. Opinion articles on law and justice are also part of the work developed.
The methodology chosen depends on the goal and analytical field of each project. Nonetheless, we always resort to either intensive and extensive methodologies and to a multitude of quantitative and qualitative methods: comparative research; statistical analysis; document analysis; case studies; judicial cases analysis per sample; systematic observation; surveys; interviews and discussion panels.
Several judicial reforms in Portugal and, more recently, also in Angola have been based on studies developed at OPJ or having our institution as partner. The work developed is also important for the development of public policies on justice for two reasons. Firstly, because its members are often part of commissions and working groups on judicial reforms, or actively participate in several discussion forums and in the media.
Secondly, because many of the proposals and recommendations presented by the judicial bodies or by the political power are based on the diagnoses made at OPJ.
