Pedro Peduzzi         Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília - The head (“ministro-chefe”) of Brazil’s equivalent of the GAO (“Controladoria-Geral da União – CGU”), Jorge Hage, criticized the Supreme Court (“Supremo Tribunal Federal – STF”) for the way it has interpreted the priniciple that an accused person is innocent until proven guilty. According to Hage, the result is that the accused have an unfair advantage.

However, in a gesture of comity, Hage also praised the chief justice, Cezar Peluso, for his support of a constitutional amendment (“PEC”) that would reduce the appeal process (“redução do número de recursos a que o réu tem direito”) and shorten the path to jail.

The proposed amendment (“PEC n° 15/2011”) would allow the immediate execution of sentences after one appeal (“segunda instância”) and permit someone found guilty to remain free only after a ruling by a superior court.

“The understanding of the Supreme Court of legislation on presumed innocence is just too favorable to the accused. It is practically impossible to send anybody to jail under the present rules,” declared Hage, in an Agência Brasil interview.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - Jorge Hage critica forma como STF interpreta presunção de inocência