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A tutela contraordenacional e penal dos animais : um contributo para a revisão constitucional
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Dada a evolução do papel dos animais na sociedade, assiste-se em todo o mundo à reformulação do seu estatuto jurídico e, por consequência, a sua tutela, não sendo Portugal, exceção. Como tal, surgiram, por parte de quatro partidos, propostas de revisão constitucional no processo que se iniciou em 2022 onde foi manifesta a vontade que fosse inserido, finalmente, o dever estadual de proteção do bem-estar animal. Na sequência dos últimos acontecimentos propusemo-nos a analisar a tutela penal portuguesa analisando as decisões do Tribunal Constitucional e doutrina acerca dos dois motivos apontados para a inconstitucionalidade das normas que tratam da incriminação dos maus-tratos a animais de companhia: a inexistência de bem jurídico e/ou a violação do principio da legalidade. Visto que um dos argumentos utilizados para afastar a necessidade de tutela penal é a sua subsidiariedade face ao direito de mera ordenação social, analisam-se também, alguns regimes contraordenacionais, que visam proteger os animais, em Portugal. com o objetivo de demonstrar
as suas falhas sistemáticas num regime que apesar de se dispersar por diversos diplomas, deveria ser uno.
Concluímos pela inconstitucionalidade das normas que incriminam os maus-tratos a animais de companhia devido à inexistência de bem jurídico por não conseguir identificá-lo, expressamente ou implicitamente na nossa Constituição tendo esta como referência. Sem recurso a dados empíricos que demonstrem a eficácia real da atual tutela contraordenacional justificamos a sua insuficiência essencialmente no desnorte que a mesma tem seguido, e na forte convicção instaurada na sociedade portuguesa, de que existe um dever de proteção dos animais que não se pode limitar, em determinados casos, à aplicação de coimas. Considera-se fundamental a inserção deste dever na Constituição da República Portuguesa com o intuito de perante uma crise do bem jurídico implementada, não haver quaisquer dúvidas de que os maus-tratos a animais em Portugal, podem ser criminalizados.
Given the changing role of animals in society, their legal status and, consequently, their protection are being reformulated all over the world, and Portugal is no exception. As such, four parties have proposed a constitutional review in the process that began in 2022, in which the desire was expressed to finally include a state duty to protect animal welfare. In the wake of recent events, we set out to analyse Portuguese criminal law by analysing the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the doctrine on the two grounds given for the unconstitutionality of the rules that deal with the incrimination of mistreatment of companion animals: the lack of a legal good and/or the violation of the principle of legality. Given that one of the arguments used to dismiss the need for criminal protection is its subsidiarity in relation to the law of mere social order, we also analyse some of the administrative offences that aim to protect animals in Portugal, with the aim of demonstrating the systematic flaws in a system that, despite being spread over several pieces of legislation, should be one. We conclude that the rules that incriminate the mistreatment of pets are unconstitutional due to the lack of a legal good, as they cannot be identified, expressly or implicitly, in our Constitution, taking this as a reference. Without recourse to empirical data that demonstrates the real effectiveness of the current administrative offence system, we justify its insufficiency essentially on the grounds it has gone astray, and on the strong conviction instilled in Portuguese society that there is a duty to protect animals that cannot be limited, in certain cases, to the imposition of fines. We believe it is essential to include this duty in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic so that, in the face of a legal crisis, there is no doubt that the mistreatment of animals in Portugal can be criminalised.
Given the changing role of animals in society, their legal status and, consequently, their protection are being reformulated all over the world, and Portugal is no exception. As such, four parties have proposed a constitutional review in the process that began in 2022, in which the desire was expressed to finally include a state duty to protect animal welfare. In the wake of recent events, we set out to analyse Portuguese criminal law by analysing the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the doctrine on the two grounds given for the unconstitutionality of the rules that deal with the incrimination of mistreatment of companion animals: the lack of a legal good and/or the violation of the principle of legality. Given that one of the arguments used to dismiss the need for criminal protection is its subsidiarity in relation to the law of mere social order, we also analyse some of the administrative offences that aim to protect animals in Portugal, with the aim of demonstrating the systematic flaws in a system that, despite being spread over several pieces of legislation, should be one. We conclude that the rules that incriminate the mistreatment of pets are unconstitutional due to the lack of a legal good, as they cannot be identified, expressly or implicitly, in our Constitution, taking this as a reference. Without recourse to empirical data that demonstrates the real effectiveness of the current administrative offence system, we justify its insufficiency essentially on the grounds it has gone astray, and on the strong conviction instilled in Portuguese society that there is a duty to protect animals that cannot be limited, in certain cases, to the imposition of fines. We believe it is essential to include this duty in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic so that, in the face of a legal crisis, there is no doubt that the mistreatment of animals in Portugal can be criminalised.
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Palavras-chave
Animais Tutela penal Contraordenação Revisão constitucional Bem-estar animal Teses de mestrado - 2025 Animals Criminal protection Administrative offences Constitutional review Animal welfare