O dever fundamental de proteção da família : dimensões da responsabilidade

Abstract

Family protection should be analyzed from the perspective of fundamental duties. The contemporary family, no longer understood as a hierarchic, matrimonial structure, but rather as an open, plural frame, founded on affection and solidarity, needs effective protection in its different arrangements. This paper addresses the importance of the application of fundamental duties particularly to the protection of both the family and its members. Even though they have been considered as a forgotten theme by the doctrine, fundamental duties are directly grounded on the community as well as on its individuals. In order to understand them well and apply them correctly, they should be confronted with other similar institutions, in order not to incur in conceptual distortions, such as: right, obligation and moral. One should consider that the fundamental duties are closely connected with the fundamental rights, since the former do not exist without the latter. The State, which is the main titleholder of fundamental duties, is in charge of promoting and effecting the fundamental duties of every citizen to consolidate the objectives of the Democratic State of Rights, concerning mainly the fundamental duties of protecting the family, which is the focus of this study. On the other hand, the family should also be regarded as a titleholder of fundamental duties. By both regulatory law (constitution or ordinary law) and moral and ethic impositions, it is supposed to promote the protection of its members in a way that is consistent with their needs. This study is focused on showing that the system of family protection is mixed, and that the State, the family and society should associate to make the actions of family protection effective, thus promoting human being dignity. In order to that, the prima facie direct link of fundamental rights in family relationships is advocated, when each individual composing the family group is directly connected with fundamental rights. As a way to concretize the family duties, civil responsibility could be a means to impose non-fulfilled duties. This dissertation evidences the constitutional protection of the family. It is grounded on the area of the Post-Graduation Program in Law called Constitutional Foundations of Public Law and Private Law in Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul. This work follows the research line known as Efficacy and Effectiveness of the Constitution and Fundamental Rights in Public Law and Private Law .