"Everything that has happened leads us to believe in the need for isolation," says Toffoli.
"Everything that has been happening in the world leads us to believe in the need for isolation to flatten the curve [of contamination] and to be able to provide healthcare for the general population," said Minister Dias Toffoli during a live broadcast on social media.
Do Conjur - The President of the Supreme Federal Court, Minister Dias Toffoli, stated this Monday (March 30th) that the need for social isolation in the face of the coronavirus is justified by the way the pandemic has evolved around the world. The statement was made in a live broadcast on Instagram, alongside the president of the Federal Council of the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association), Felipe Santa Cruz.
"Everything that has been happening in the world leads us to believe in the necessity of isolation, really, to flatten the curve (of contagion) and to have healthcare available for the general population," the minister stated.
Isolation is one of the guidelines adopted by the entire Judiciary. The Supreme Federal Court, for example, has expanded the possibilities for online trials and will hold sessions via videoconference. The National Council of Justice has issued recommendations for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. The minister also addressed decisions made by the Supreme Court in cases where the impacts of the disease were taken into consideration.
"These are issues of the highest relevance and importance that the Supreme Federal Court is deciding regarding the need to manage the fight against this virus in a way that allows entities of the Federation and the Powers to act in a coordinated manner, in a more centralized way, with greater legal certainty," he pointed out.
According to Toffoli, decisions must be made based on widely publicized facts and the participation of a free press. "In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, there's no way to hide facts, nor to distort facts," he said. "We can't make decisions based on what I think, what I believe, or what I wish things were true; otherwise, reality will turn against us," he added.
"Deadlines are suspended, but publications should continue."
Asked by Felipe Santa Cruz about the resumption of procedural deadlines, Minister Dias Toffoli stated that it is impossible to make a prediction, since it is necessary to wait for the country's situation amidst the pandemic, with the peak of infections expected precisely for the month of April.
Toffoli described the suspension of deadlines until April 30 as "reasonable" and stressed that the publication of decisions continues to occur normally.
“Publications should not stop. The guidance we are giving is that publications should continue. Deadlines are suspended, but judicial activity continues. The judge continues to issue sentences, and cannot accumulate them to publish only after April 30th. The lawyer will be left with a backlog of cases,” highlighted the president of the Supreme Court.