Abstract
This article critically examines the legislative process that culminated in the enactment of Brazil’s Environmental Crimes Law, with particular attention to how criminal law is mobilized to protect collective legal interests. To situate the analysis, the discussion begins with an overview of the development of the legally protected interests theory, emphasizing its relevance to the recognition of diffuse and collective interests such as the environment. Methodologically, the study relies on legislative document analysis and bibliographic review, while drawing on theoretical perspectives from critical criminology and critical legal dogmatics. The article argues that theoretical elaborations surrounding the notion of legally protected interests did not hinder legislative progress. Rather, the legislature’s decision to criminalize environmental harm functioned as a political gesture—one that deliberately distanced itself from academic debate in favor of reinforcing the public perception that criminalization guarantees protection.