The updating of IDC’s website represents an important step in the life of this institution, born in the beginning of the 21st century.
The IDC was incorporated in December 2001 by an enlarged group of prestigious Professors and Teaching Assistants of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon (the first Board of Directors being presided by Professor José de Oliveira Ascensão, being Vice-President Professor Luís Menezes Leitão), after previous approval of its incorporation by the Faculty’s Scientific Council in its plenary meeting of the 25th of July of 2001, having been decided that the IDC should have autonomous legal personality (Minute No. 9/2001, sec. 16).
At the time, the incorporation of IDC represented a very significative step of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon towards the promotion of the development of this legal field, which, although having a prominent social relevance, did not have still a compatible institutional acknowledgment. In 2015, the IDC became an Associate Institute to the Center of Research in Private Law (CIDP) of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and, in 2021, the Portuguese State granted the IDC the prestigious status of public utility.
During the last decades, the IDC activities have embraced several sectors, namely teaching and training, research and promotion of the Consumer Law, having the IDC extended it to professional training actions to supervision and regulatory national authorities with whom corresponding protocols have been concluded.
In the area of teaching and training, the IDC has promoted between 2002 and 2017 the publication of 5 numbers of its Bulletin, which represent important compilations of legal doctrine, and which gave support to academic and practice forensic legal studies that followed them.
In the research field, the IDC has organised and edited a new collection of legal studies with an encyclopaedical extent (Estudos de Direito do Consumo), in four volumes, with around 3.400 pages, and contributions of more that 100 authors of several nationalities (namely European and Portuguese speaking countries legal authors), who seek to describe the actual state of development of Consumer Law in their legal systems. The Estudos do Direito do Consumo represent in the field of Consumer Law the broadest collective work published until today in Portugal.
In the institutional field, the IDC has concluded several protocols and partnerships with relevant national entities (ASJP, DECO, DGC, MPEP, OA, ICAP, ANACOM and SMMP), including with the Public Administration (Direcção-Geral do Consumidor), and with foreign entities. The IDC also cooperates with the European Commission, ensuring the updating of the EU Portal of Justice in which regards Consumer Law. The IDC also has a cooperation protocol with the Public Ministry of the State of Paraná (Brazil).
The new website intends to serve a double purpose. On one hand, to be a privileged space of promotion of its history and of all activities developed by the IDC. On the other hand, to serve as an instrument which supports legal research in the Consumer Law area, making available information on specialised studies, bibliography and legislation on consumer protection. In the near future, the IDC also intends to create and make available a list of relevant courts decisions on Consumer Law.
The cooperation of the website users is very much welcome. Such a cooperation may be made through the sending of scientific studies to the published, after positive evaluation of the IDC’s Board, as well as through contributions and recommendations made to the updating of bibliographical, legislative or doctrinary elements present in the website.
May the present website serve all those who dedicate to the study and to the application of Consumer Law.
Lisbon, the 21st of April of 2024
The Board of Directors of the IDC – Associação para o Estudo do Direito do Consumo / IDC – Association for the Study of Consumer Law