The aim of this seminar is to provide a general overview of class actions in the Portuguese legal system and their integration into the administration of justice, based on the latest legal and scientific knowledge and taking into account the reality of forensic practice.

Knowledge of this subject is seen as a future skill that will be relevant for any legal professional, and the aim is therefore to provide students with the tools they need to understand and deal with the various substantive and procedural situations that may arise.

Syllabus

1. Background
   1. The phenomenon and its justification
   2. Concept and definition
   3. Sources
   4. Comparative law:
2. Substantive aspects
   1. Framework
   2. The right to collective action and categories of interests (public, private, and diffuse; individual and collective)
   3. Third-party financing, assignment of claims, and professional ethics
   4. Specific aspects of civil liability (joint and several liability, statute of limitations)
   5. Calculation and distribution of compensation
3. Procedural aspects
   1. Definition of class and certification
   2. Legitimacy
   3. Intervention of the Public Prosecutor's Office and adequate representation
   4. Relationship between collective actions e. Settlements and ratification
4. Class actions, in particular
   1. Competition law
   2. Consumer law
   3. Digital law
   4. Environmental law