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WHEN JUSTICE WALKS TOWARD THE PEOPLE
A Judge, the Moral Law, and the Living Meaning of Access to Justice
🌎 International Reflection |
WHEN JUSTICE WALKS TOWARD THE PEOPLE
A Judge, the Moral Law, and the Living Meaning of Access to Justice
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🌎 International Reflection | Reflexão Internacional
ENGLISH VERSION
A Judge Who Honors the ROBE, the Moral Law, the Constitution, and Human Dignity
The conduct of Luiz Carlos Vilas Boas, judge of the Tribunal de Justiça da Bahia, who personally traveled to a rural area to hold a hearing with a bedridden man lacking internet access and the means to reach the courthouse, represents something increasingly rare in contemporary judicial systems: justice guided by conscience, proximity, and moral courage.
This act is not symbolic. It is constitutional, ethical, human, and profoundly aligned with divine moral law.
Under the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988, access to justice is not a mere formality. It is inseparable from human dignity (art. 1, III), due process of law, and the effectiveness of fundamental rights. Justice that cannot be reached by the vulnerable is not justice—it is denial.
The LOMAN (Lei Orgânica da Magistratura Nacional) demands that judges act with independence, dignity, honor, and social responsibility, while the Brazilian Code of Judicial Ethics explicitly requires the magistrate to act with human sensitivity, impartiality, transparency, and commitment to social peace.
Judge Vilas Boas did precisely that.
He also honored the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly:
Article 7 – Equality before the law
Article 8 – Right to an effective remedy
Article 10 – Right to a fair and public hearing
From a Christian ethical perspective, his conduct reflects the core teachings of the Gospel:
> “Go to those who cannot come to you.”
Justice here follows the example of Christ, who walked toward the sick, the excluded, and the forgotten, never demanding that human fragility adapt to institutional comfort.
This judge did not lower the authority of the Judiciary.
He elevated it.
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⚖️ A Necessary Contrast: The Obstruction of Justice in the United States
This example becomes even more striking when contrasted with what countless victims experience daily in U.S. foreclosure, guardianship, and family courts.
In many American jurisdictions:
Elderly and disabled individuals are forced to appear physically or lose their rights
Remote access is denied or manipulated
Legal representation is obstructed
Courts operate as closed systems favoring financial and institutional power
Instead of access to justice, victims encounter procedural violence, institutional indifference, and systemic exclusion—particularly in guardianship and foreclosure cases, where lives, homes, and families are dismantled under the appearance of legality.
What Judge Vilas Boas demonstrated is that this is not inevitable.
It is a choice.
A choice between:
Bureaucracy vs. humanity
Power vs. service
Distance vs. presence
🌍 QUESTION TO OUR INTERNATIONAL READERS
👉 What do YOU think of this judge’s conduct?
👉 Should judges be closer to the people they serve?
👉 Is access to justice a moral duty—or merely a procedural option?
Your voice matters. Share your perspective.
🇧🇷 VERSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS
Um Juiz que Honra a Toga, a Lei Moral, a Constituição e a Dignidade Humana
A conduta do Luiz Carlos Vilas Boas, magistrado do Tribunal de Justiça da Bahia, ao deslocar-se pessoalmente até a zona rural para realizar uma audiência com um cidadão acamado, sem acesso à internet e distante do fórum, representa algo cada vez mais raro no mundo jurídico: justiça com consciência, proximidade e coragem moral.
Esse ato não é excepcional — é constitucional, ético, humano e profundamente cristão.
A Constituição Federal de 1988 consagra a dignidade da pessoa humana como fundamento do Estado Democrático de Direito. O acesso à justiça não é retórico: ele exige efetividade, especialmente para os mais vulneráveis.
A LOMAN impõe ao magistrado deveres de honra, independência, urbanidade e compromisso social, enquanto o Código de Ética da Magistratura Nacional determina sensibilidade humana, respeito, transparência e promoção da paz social.
Foi exatamente isso que o juiz realizou.
Sob a ótica dos Direitos Humanos, sua atitude concretiza:
Igualdade perante a lei
Direito à tutela jurisdicional efetiva
Direito a um julgamento justo e acessível
E, sob a ótica cristã, sua conduta ecoa o Evangelho vivo:
> A justiça que vai ao encontro do próximo.
Cristo não exigiu que os enfermos fossem até Ele.
Ele foi até eles.
Esse juiz não enfraqueceu o Judiciário.
Ele o engrandeceu.
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⚖️ O Contraste Necessário: A Obstrução do Acesso à Justiça nos EUA
Em contraste, milhares de vítimas nos tribunais de foreclosure, guardianship e família nos Estados Unidos enfrentam:
Barreiras deliberadas de acesso
Violência processual
Exclusão de idosos, pessoas doentes e pobres
Tribunais capturados por interesses econômicos
Ali, a justiça frequentemente não caminha — ela expulsa.
O exemplo do juiz baiano prova que outro modelo é possível.
É uma escolha ética.
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🌎 PERGUNTA AOS LEITORES, NACIONAIS E INTERNACIONAIS
👉 O que você pensa sobre a atitude deste juiz?
👉 Juízes devem se aproximar da população?
👉 O acesso à justiça é um dever moral ou apenas um rito formal?
Deixe seu comentário.
Participe..
A justiça também se constrói com vozes conscientes.
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📌 Fonte: Migalhas
📅 Janeiro de 2026
Judge travels to rural area for hearing with bedridden man: "Access to Justice"
In an interview, Luiz Carlos Vilas Boas advocates for a justice system that is closer to the population and affirms that access goes beyond the right to legal action.
From the Newsroom
Source MIGALHAS
Monday, January 12, 2026
Updated on January 11, 2026 at 9:25 AM
A hearing held in rural Bahia has drawn attention on social media. The person responsible for the initiative was Judge Luiz Carlos Vilas Boas of the Bahia State Court of Justice , who decided to travel to the home of a bedridden client who lacked internet access and lived far from the courthouse.
Watch:
https://youtu.be/20KQfpGQJzk?si=Z_Gmk0HnHkYDzFqG
The incident took place in November at the Civil Court of Ribeira do Pombal, and gained attention after a court employee shared photos of the judge's visit.
In an interview with Migalhas, the judge explained that the initiative was not an isolated event and that it stems from a practical understanding of the judicial function.
“Ensuring access to justice is not just about guaranteeing the right to legal action. It's about enabling people to exercise their rights, understand the process, and participate in it.”
According to the magistrate, given the impossibility of the person under his jurisdiction appearing in court, the simplest and most efficient alternative was for the judge to travel to the location, which he did in his own car.
Judge “entrenched” and social pacification
The judge agreed with the criticism that judges are still seen as figures detached from social reality. For him, breaking down this barrier is essential to strengthening public trust in the judiciary.
“In the interior, there’s this idea of the judge as something isolated, almost unreachable. One of our jobs is to show that the Judiciary is accessible and community-oriented.”
He even reports that he maintains the habit of personally attending to any citizen who comes to the courthouse. According to the judge, even though the magistrate cannot give opinions or resolve demands during this interaction, the simple dialogue fulfills a relevant function of social pacification.
"Often, the fact that the person has spoken to the judge is enough to calm things down, to bring peace. It avoids bigger conflicts and even situations of violence."
Trust in Justice
According to Luiz Carlos Vilas Boas, initiatives such as holding hearings outside the courthouse directly contribute to improving the image of the Judiciary and reinforcing public confidence in judicial decisions.
COMMENTS
Abel Cavalcante de Matos
to Luiz Carlos Vilas Boas, initiatives such as holding hearings outside the courthouse directly contribute to improving the image of the Judiciary and reinforcing public confidence in judicial decisions. Confidence in judicial decisions... Hahaha... Citizens will go to court. But to truly trust them is difficult. Political and economic power is in charge.
Laercio Rodrigues Bandeira
Good morning. This initiative is consistent with a sense of justice. I am a civil servant in the Labor Court and, in the 1990s, we held an evidentiary hearing at the home of a worker who was unable to move around because he had been shot in the cervical region.
Reply
3
George Marum
The initiative and awareness demonstrated by the learned magistrate regarding the importance of dispensing justice and serving the public are commendable. However, this judicial responsiveness should not be confused with judicial activism.
Paulo Américo de Andrade
This is so rare that it takes on the character of an unusual news story. I remember, early in my career, taking a terminally ill client with metastasis, and the judge demanded her presence in the courtroom. We arranged a stretcher, covered it with a sheet, and carried the poor woman, four men, placing her on the courtroom table, moaning... And lest anyone say this is an exaggeration, I urge the esteemed readers to attempt a simple judicial inspection outside the courthouse. It's a struggle!
link: https://www.migalhas.com.br/quentes/447632/juiz-vai-a-zona-rural-para-audiencia-com-homem-acamado
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