Maria Berenice Dias
Encyclopedia
Maria Berenice Dias is a progressive
Brazilian judge
and the first woman
to take the bench in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul
. Dr. Dias also was the first woman to become a justice of the state highest Court of Appeals
. She is the presiding justice over the Seventh Panel of Judges of the state highest Court of Appeals
; the quorum of judges assembles in Porto Alegre
, the state capital. Dr. Dias' own specialty is the area of family law
.
While known as a long-time defender of women's rights
, Dr. Dias also became a great champion and fighter on behalf of the human rights
of persons of sexual minority
; and especially defending the right of same-sex couples, as alternative families, to have their unions
officially recognized by the State of Brazil.
Dr. Dias always insists in recognizing same-sex couples
as family units based on their free, mutual and permanent in nature homoaffectionalism towards one another. This has made her a true pioneer and a beloved friend of the members of the Brazilian Homosexual Movement (Movimento Homossexual Brasileiro) and of the all-encompassing Queer
community of Brazil.
Besides being a prolific author of books and articles, etc. Dr. Dias also created, co-founded or presided over such organizations as the Brazilian Institute of Family Law
(Instituto Brasileiro de Direito de Família/IBDFAM); the Federation of Women’s Associations (Federação das Associações Femeninas/FAF); JusMulher, offering voluntary legal and psychological service to women in need; and the Brazilian Association of Women with Careers in the Justice Field (Associação Brasileira das Mulheres de Carreira Jurídica/ABMCJ-RS).
However, one of her most important publications has been her recent book Homoafetividade - o que diz a Justiça (ISBN 85-7348-280-X), a work in which she gathers and comments the pioneering judicial decisions by the Brazilian Court of Appeals regarding the civil rights
of same-sex couples. These decisions set historical legal precedents (jurisprudência) resulting in changes in all of the states of the Federative Republic of Brazil. This publication is absolutely fundamental in trying to understand the modern advances of the rights of homosexuals in Brazil.
Dr. Dias obtained her Post Graduate Degree and Master in Civil Proceeding from the Catholic Pontifice University of Rio Grande do Sul (Pontífica Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul/PUCRS). She is a very active speaker throughout Brazil and abroad. Dr. Dias was selected and she accepted the title of embassador of the First World Outgames/2006
which will take place in Montreal
, Canada
.
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
Brazilian judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and the first woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
to take the bench in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
. Dr. Dias also was the first woman to become a justice of the state highest Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals
A court of appeals is an appellate court generally.Court of Appeals may refer to:*Military Court of Appeals *Corte d'Assise d'Appello *Philippine Court of Appeals*High Court of Appeals of Turkey*United States courts of appeals...
. She is the presiding justice over the Seventh Panel of Judges of the state highest Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals
A court of appeals is an appellate court generally.Court of Appeals may refer to:*Military Court of Appeals *Corte d'Assise d'Appello *Philippine Court of Appeals*High Court of Appeals of Turkey*United States courts of appeals...
; the quorum of judges assembles in Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, the state capital. Dr. Dias' own specialty is the area of family law
Family law
Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
.
While known as a long-time defender of women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
, Dr. Dias also became a great champion and fighter on behalf of the human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
of persons of sexual minority
Sexual minority
A sexual minority is a group whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. The term was coined most likely in the late 1960s under the influence of Lars Ullerstam's ground breaking book "The Erotic Minorities: A Swedish View" which came...
; and especially defending the right of same-sex couples, as alternative families, to have their unions
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
officially recognized by the State of Brazil.
Dr. Dias always insists in recognizing same-sex couples
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
as family units based on their free, mutual and permanent in nature homoaffectionalism towards one another. This has made her a true pioneer and a beloved friend of the members of the Brazilian Homosexual Movement (Movimento Homossexual Brasileiro) and of the all-encompassing Queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
community of Brazil.
Besides being a prolific author of books and articles, etc. Dr. Dias also created, co-founded or presided over such organizations as the Brazilian Institute of Family Law
Brazilian Institute of Family Law
The Brazilian Institute of Family Law or IBDFAM is a non-profit civil association founded on October 25, 1997, in the city of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the First Congress of Brazilian Family Law.The national headquarters of the Brazilian Institute of Family Law is...
(Instituto Brasileiro de Direito de Família/IBDFAM); the Federation of Women’s Associations (Federação das Associações Femeninas/FAF); JusMulher, offering voluntary legal and psychological service to women in need; and the Brazilian Association of Women with Careers in the Justice Field (Associação Brasileira das Mulheres de Carreira Jurídica/ABMCJ-RS).
However, one of her most important publications has been her recent book Homoafetividade - o que diz a Justiça (ISBN 85-7348-280-X), a work in which she gathers and comments the pioneering judicial decisions by the Brazilian Court of Appeals regarding the civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
of same-sex couples. These decisions set historical legal precedents (jurisprudência) resulting in changes in all of the states of the Federative Republic of Brazil. This publication is absolutely fundamental in trying to understand the modern advances of the rights of homosexuals in Brazil.
Dr. Dias obtained her Post Graduate Degree and Master in Civil Proceeding from the Catholic Pontifice University of Rio Grande do Sul (Pontífica Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul/PUCRS). She is a very active speaker throughout Brazil and abroad. Dr. Dias was selected and she accepted the title of embassador of the First World Outgames/2006
World Outgames
The World Outgames are a sporting and cultural event hosted by the gay community. With over 12,000 participants, the 1st World Outgames, held in 2006, was the largest international event to be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since the 1976 Summer Olympiad. These first Outgames were not as...
which will take place in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
External links
- Maria Berenice Dias. Personal website (in English, Spanish and Portuguese), accessed on April 25, 2006.
- Maria Berenice Dias - Essays translated into English, accessed on September 30, 2006.
- State Supreme Court of Appeals/Tribunal de Justiça of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Official website (in Portuguese only), accessed on April 25, 2006.