Paper short abstract:

Brazil is a crucial player in tackling climate change, and there are recent institutional calls for using remote sensing data in court cases. This study examines the effective use of this data and its role as a boundary object between oversight, investigation, prosecution, and judgment bodies.

Paper long abstract:

The article studies the implications of satellite remote sensing data as a boundary object in monitoring, investigation, prosecution and judgment in Brazil's environmental lawsuits. It is relevant because tackling climate change is urgent and challenging for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and Brazil is a crucial player in protecting the Amazon rainforest. The Police, Public Prosecutors and Judges have received recent recommendations from their superior bodies for using remote sensing data in court cases. For this purpose, they count on another tool with daily high-resolution satellite images. Geospatial information systems were among the topics of a public hearing that discussed parameters for quantifying environmental damage from deforestation. However, the effectiveness of this data in court decisions remains unclear. Therefore, the research question is: how effective is the use of remote sensing data for monitoring, investigation, instruction, and judgment in civil and criminal environmental suits? It is qualitative empirical research through exploratory documentary analysis of data available on the web pages of governmental bodies, the contributions to the Public Hearing, the responses to requests for access to information, and a sample of environmental crime cases. In addition to presenting the current stage of adherence to the recommendations, the research contributes by identifying challenges in monitoring the use of this data and assessing its effectiveness in environmental protection. It also proposes a model with the variables that influence the role of remote sensing images as a boundary object between oversight, investigation, prosecution, and judgment.