Informal Justice on the assembly line A case study of the performance dynamics of the JECrim in Belo Horizonte

Abstract

In this article we analyze the innovation provided by the Juizado Especial Criminal (JECrim) within the Criminal Justice System in Brazil, as well as its effective operation – its practices and procedures – and the main characteristics of its discharge proceedings, based on the findings of the research on JECrim of Belo Horizonte/MG. This article consolidates the results of a set of both qualitative and quantitative research on this Judicial Institution, through the analysis of attitudes, values and beliefs of its members, as well as a systematic survey of the judicial flow of cases sentenced. The results point to the questioning of JECrim/BH as a relevant instance to resolve conflicts in Belo Horizonte, due to the long average time for the solution procedure of a typical case, given the strong bureaucracy implemented by the court as well as the prevalence of an overly formalistic legal culture along with their institutional actors.