THE CRIMINALJUSTICE SYSTEM IN BRAZIL:A BRIEFACCOUNT Andr ey Bor ges de Mendonç a  I.INTRODUCTION Brazil embraces the Civil Law tradition,andtherefore its legal system depends uponasystematic interpretationof writtenandgeneral rules,passedbythe legislature or,exceptionally,bythe Execu- tive.Nonetheless,the influence of CommonLaw practices is increasing.For instance,since 2004,the BrazilianSupremeCourt isauthorizedtoset mandatoryprecedentsinexceptional circumstances, obligingboththe Executive andlower ranks of Judiciary.Up to now,the Supreme Court has acted in 32 instances. The Braziliancriminal justice system is framedbythe1988Constitution,whichincludes disposi- tions about:(i)the elaboration of rules on criminal and procedural matters;(ii)the Judiciary and other essential institutions;(iii)the procedural guarantees;(iv)juridical international cooperation.In a lower hierarchy than the 1988 Constitution,the 1941 Code of Criminal Procedure and many sparse regulations address criminal investigation,prosecutionandadjudicationinamore detailedmanner. II.THE FUNCTIONING OFTHE BRAZILIAN CRIMINALSYSTEM OFJUSTICE In Brazil,besides the Especial Justices,or Special Courts,(Military and Electoral Courts),there are Federal and State Justices.In general,the Federal Justice(Federal Courts)has jurisdiction over crimes involvingtheinterests of theFederal Government andother crimes indicatedbyArticle109of the Constitution.ThecompetenceoftheStateJustice(StateCourts)isresidual.TheFederal Public Prosecutorsact intheFederal Courts,investigatingandprosecutingfederal crimes,likecurrency counterfeiting;smuggling;federal taxdodging;evasionof social securitycontributions;slave labour; formationof cartels;moneylaundering;illegal transfer of moneyoverseas;bankingfrauds;interna- tional drug trafficking;internet paedophilia;crimes committed by Internal Revenue employees,Federal Police officers or bypersonnel of anyfederal agencyor department;environmental crimes,etc. 1 The 63  Federal Prosecutor,Federal PublicProsecutionServiceof Brazil.Theauthor wouldliketothankMarcelaHarumi Takahashi Pereirafor her assistance inco-authoringthis paper. 1 According to the Federal Constitution,Article 109:“The federal judges have the competence to institute legal proceeding andtrial of:()IV ― political crimes andcriminal offenses committedagainst the assets,services or aninterest of the Unionor of its autonomous agencies or public companies,excluding misdemeanoursand excepting the competence of the Military and Electoral Courts;V― crimes covered by an international treaty or convention,when,the prosecution havingstartedinthe country,the result has takenplace or shouldhave taken place abroad,or conversely;V-A ― cases regardinghumanrights referredtoinparagraph5 of this article;VI ― crimes against the organizationof labour and, inthe cases determinedbylaw,those against the financial system andthe economic andfinancial order;VII ― habeas corpus,in criminal matters within their competence or when the coercion is exercised by an authority whose acts are not directly subject to another jurisdiction;VIII ― writs of mandamus and habeas data against an act of a federal authority, except for thecases withinthecompetenceof thefederal courts;IX ― crimescommittedaboardshipsoraircrafts, exceptingthecompetenceof theMilitaryCourts;X ― crimes or irregular entryor stayof aforeigner,executionof lettersrogatory,afterexequatur,andofforeigncourtdecisions,afterhomologation,casesrelatedtonationality, includingthe respective option,andtonaturalization;XI ― disputes over the rights of Indians.()Paragraph5.In casesofserioushumanrightsviolations,and with a view to ensuring compliancewith obligationsderiving from international humanrights treaties towhichBrazil is aparty,the Attorney-General of the Republic may request,before the Superior Court of Justice,andinthe course of anyof the stages of the inquiry or judicial action,that jurisdiction on the matter be takentoFederal Justice”.This andall the quotations are from Constitution of the Feder ative Republic of Br azil :Constitutional text of October 5,1988,withthe alterations introducedbyConstitutional Amendments no.1 / 1992 through64 / 2010 andbyRevisionConstitutional Amendments no.1 / 1994 through6 / 1994. ― 3.ed. ― Brasilia:Chamber of Deputies,DocumentationandInformationCenter,2010