The Portucalense Institute for Legal Research (IJP – Instituto Jurídico Portucalense) was established in 1987 as the Institute for Legal Research of the Universidade Portucalense. All the Law Department activities were implemented through this Institute, including the Centro de Estudos Judiciários (CEJ) Admission Preparatory Course, the editing and publishing of a scientific journal (Revista Jurídica) and several postgraduate and specialisation courses, conferences and debates.

In 2007, the Institute was reformed in order to fulfill the legal requirements demanded by the Legal Framework of Higher Education Institutions. The Institute was then renamed Portucalense Institute for Legal Research.

The Portucalense Institute for Legal Research presents itself now with a new structure, intending to give visibility to the research produced in the Department of Law of the University Portucalense, promoting their dissemination and establishing partnerships with research units in Portugal and overseas.

Objectives

• Promote knowledge and development through basic and applied scientific research;
• Planning and conducting additional training, professional and postgraduate;
• Organizing conferences, seminars and activities;
• Promotion and integration of students of 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycle in research activities;
• Preparation of studies at the request of public or private institutions in the field of their expertise;
• Cooperation with other public or private, national, European or foreign entities;
• Establishment and development of an institute of documentation;
• Carrying out other activities that contribute to the development of scientific research and knowledge within the Legal Sciences.

The IJP welcomes and embraces the Vision of an European Research Area as laid out in the European Commission 2007 Green Paper (COM(2007) 161 final). IJP sees itself as an active player in building a European Research Area where opportunities and challenges brought by globalisation are welcomed, business R&D investment is attracted, embedding knowledge in society and freeing Europe's knowledge potential in all its dimensions.

The IJP will help foster a flow of competent researchers, will strive to gain (and become) a World-class research infrastructure, embedded in the national and European social and economic life while competing and cooperating across Europe and beyond. IJP shares a vision where knowledge is effectively shared and disseminated and research programs are well managed and coordinated.

Values

The IJP adopts the values included in the European Charter For Research.