The Research Centre for Justice and Governance (JusGov) is a sub-unit of the School of Law and an R&D Unit of the University of Minho.

JusGov is dedicated to advancing research and scholarship in law by pursuing an innovative interdisciplinary research programme, engaging in international research networks, investing in a strong dissemination strategy, providing policy-relevant research and legal expertise of interest to governments, practitioners and other stakeholders, and contributing to the scientific initiation and advanced training of early-stage researchers.

JusGov will conduct basic and applied research in the field of law from an interdisciplinary perspective with the objective of understanding and finding practical answers to some of the main challenges facing our societies today, in particular, the role of law in the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, the achievement of gender equality, the provision of access to justice for all, and the building of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Developed by six interconnected research groups, its research programme covers basic and applied research to be conducted by an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers (from the fields of criminology, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and economics) and frequent collaborations across disciplinary lines (eg with computer engineering and health sciences).

In pursuance of its basic research agenda, JusGov will analyse fundamental concepts at the intersection of law with other sciences, such as inter-constitutionality, citizenship, equality, good governance, digital economy and society, and human development and sustainability. It will also contribute to the discussion of the theoretical framework underlying the academic debates on democracy and the rule of law, interculturality and legal pluralism, globalisation and polycentrism, among others.

JusGov’s applied research agenda will primarily consist of assessment studies of the legal framework and of judicial and administrative practices at both national and international (regional and global) levels, covering critical issues such as privacy in hyper-connected contexts, immigrant integration, liability for medical acts, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, new criminal typologies, and safeguards in judicial proceedings.