The Clash between Local Courts and Global Economics: The Politics of Judicial Reform in Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes the connection between global economic and political trends and Brazilian strategies for judicial reform. A global consensus has emerged in favor of economic liberalization strategies and these strategies require the rule of law to create certainty and predictability. This article maintains that the Brazilian president’s choice of judicial reform proposals is shaped by the government’s attempt to revamp Brazil’s economy and bureaucratic state structure to engage in a single world market, in concert with the global neoliberal paradigm.