The courts in the Federal District are using WhatsApp to serve summonses.

The Special Civil and Public Treasury Courts of the Federal District have adopted notifications via WhatsApp, an instant messaging application; the initiative aims to expedite judicial proceedings and promote greater cost savings in the process; the Court will consider the notification completed when the application shows that the message has been delivered and read, with message markers; if it is not read within three days, the TJDFT (Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories), which regulated the proposal, will make the notification by another means.

July 19, 2016, 17:41 pmUpdated June 29, 2018, 19:48 pm

The Special Civil and Public Treasury Courts of the Federal District have adopted notifications via WhatsApp, an instant messaging application; the initiative aims to expedite judicial proceedings and promote greater cost savings in the process; the Court will consider the notification completed when the application shows that the message has been delivered and read, with the message markers; if it is not read within three days, the TJDFT (Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories), which regulated the proposal, will make the notification by another means (Photo: Leonardo Lucena).

Brasilia 247 - The Federal District Court has implemented a mechanism to try to speed up the delivery of summonses to parties involved in a lawsuit. The Special Civil and Public Treasury Courts of the Federal District and Territories have adopted notifications via WhatsApp, an instant messaging application. The initiative aims to expedite judicial proceedings and promote greater cost savings in the process. According to data from the Court of Justice (TJDFT), which regulated the proposal, of the 660 summonses made through the application in the region, only 11 were unsuccessful, a success rate of approximately 98,5%.

According to the rule, foreseen in the new Code of Civil Procedure, the user will have to sign an authorization to receive this type of notification and provide a cell phone number to receive the material. A court employee will be responsible for communicating with the party involved and will send, through the application, an image of the judicial pronouncement (order, decision or judgment), with the identification of the case and the parties.

The court does not request personal, banking, or any other confidential information. Questions regarding the summons can only be addressed to the court clerk's office. The court considers the summons served when the application shows that the message has been delivered and read, with the message markers. If it is not read within three days, the court will issue the notification by another means.