Débora Zampier Reporter Agencia Brasil

Brasilia – Last week, the National Justice Council (“CNJ”), a judicial branch watchdog, released a list of corporations and institutions involved in litigation at the federal level. It turns out that 38% of the lawsuits in federal courts involve the federal government and another 38% involve banks. In other words, together the government and banks are involved in 76% of all federal lawsuits.

The survey also found that 8% of federal lawsuits involve state governments, 6% telephone companies and 5% city governments.

In a general national ranking of litigants, the grand champion, with 22.3% of all legal processes, was the federal government’s Social Security system (“INSS”). In second place was the Federal Loan and Savings Bank (“Caixa Econômica Federal”) with 8.5%, followed by “Fazenda Nacional” (tax issues) with 7.4%.

It should be noted that at the top of all the lists are government institutions. It is only further down that private institutions begin to appear. Bradesco, a private bank, with 3.8% of cases, is in seventh place; Banco Itaú, with 3.4% is in eighth place; Brasil Telecom, with 3.3%, is in ninth place and Banco Finasa with 2.2%. is in tenth place.

A deputy secretary at the CNJ, José Guilherme Werner, pointed out that when the survey separated those who sued from those who were being sued, a curious fact was discovered: banks (both private and state-run institutions) sue as often as they are sued. However, in the vast majority of cases it is involved in the federal government is sued. While at the local level, 97% of lawsuits are filed by municipal authorities.

Werner announced that there are plans for a gathering of Brazil’s biggest litigants in May in São Paulo. The objective of the meeting (which is being billed as a seminar), says the deputy secretary, is to unclog the dockets a little.

According to Werner, people are beginning to perceive the costly burden of the law’s delay. “It is becoming apparent that the faster a lawsuit is resolved, the better – for both sides,” declared Werner.

The May seminar will take place against the background of a movement to create the 3rd Republican Pact in which representatives of the three branches of government will adopt measures to reduce litigation at the federal level.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - Setor público federal e bancos estão em 76% das ações que tramitam na Justiça

Link - Seminário com instituições que mais demandam da Justiça discutirá formas de reduzir processos