O Ministério Público no Brasil: relevância, características e uma agenda para o futuro

Abstract

The Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) is one of the most important institutional innovations stemming from the 1988 Constitution. The prosecutors not only have autonomy, but also tools and a wide range of attributions. These characteristics have allowed the PPO to play more than a traditional role in applying public actions concerning criminal matters together with the Judiciary branch, thus transforming Brazilian prosecutors into significant political players. The PPO’s central role in the public debate took on more significance during discussions on the bill aimed at limiting prosecutors’ rights to lead criminal investigations, an unnecessary measure if one considers the position taken by representatives who drafted the Constitution in 1987-88.