A legitimidade da jurisdição de primeiro grau na concretização dos direitos fundamentais: proposta de um novo modelo jurídico-administrativo para o segundo grau de jurisdição

Abstract

The current study is about the legitimacy of lower court jurisdiction as a way of exercising basic legal rights, proposing, therefore, a new legal-administrative model for appellate court. In order to achieve that, a demonstration of the importance of basic legal rights in the Brazilian legal system and an open interpretation in light of the Constitution, as a way to affirm said rights, among which are accessibility to the justice system and proper legal protection, is required. As a result, the legitimacy to access the legal system resides in the Constitution, where the interpreter should seek its basic principles to achieve basic legal rights. It is observed that the lack of credibility regarding lower court decisions comes from the dogmatic view of truth born from power, and therefore, that the truth resides in decisions from appellate court and not from lower court judges. A lower court judge holds a privileged position in providing basic legal rights for citizens, considering his close contact to the parties, the facts, and the evidences brought forth. Class action suit is presented as an important instrument able to lead the lower court judge to provide basic legal rights. Small Claims Courts may be used as paradigm to the creation of Appellate State Courts formed by lower court judges, reserving to higher jurisdiction courts and Federal Circuit Courts, the decisions of original competency and the management and institutional representation of the judiciary system. Instilling an internal democratization of the judiciary is also required, which means the participation of lower court judges in electing their peers to chief positions in the court system, as well as establishing a limited mandate to higher court judges.