This conference is part of a series dedicated to the analysis of fundamental and cross-cutting concepts of law, seeking to understand them in depth from multiple legal and non-legal perspectives.

The inaugural edition will be dedicated to the theme of legal expectations.
The notion of expectation occupies a central place, albeit often implicit, in legal discourse.

It arises in various contexts – such as the protection of trust, management of contractual expectations, or explanation of the systemic origins of law – and raises a complex set of theoretical and practical issues.
First, it is important to ask what constitutes an expectation: is it a purely cognitive phenomenon, an emotional projection, or a normative construct? To what extent can an expectation be considered reasonable or legitimate? What criteria should govern its legal qualification and protection?
Additionally, there is the question of what type of protection the law grants – or should grant – to expectations, as well as which expectations deserve greater protection and why. These questions take on distinct contours depending on the branches of law, inviting a comparative and transversal analysis.
On the other hand, expectation can be thought of as a potential deontic position, or as an underlying element to various legal institutes, raising the issue of its conceptual autonomy and its structuring role in the legal system.

This conference will seek to explore these and other issues associated to the concept of legal expectations, fostering a dialogue among different areas of law, analytical methods, and legal traditions.
With a view to enriching this debate, the program will also include presentations by guests from other fields of knowledge – namely philosophy, linguistics, literature, psychology, and theology – whose perspectives may contribute to a deeper and more integrated understanding of the phenomenon of expectations.

Organizing Comittee
Francisco Quelhas Limas
Luísa Naia
Benedita Sequeira
Mafalda Sá
Rita Henriques