OAB-RJ requests the expulsion of a lawyer for racial slurs against a judge: "remnants of the slave quarters"

247 - The Office of the Inspector General of the Brazilian Bar Association, Rio de Janeiro Section (OAB-RJ), requested the exclusion of lawyer José Francisco Abud from the entity's membership, following statements considered racist against Judge Helenice Rangel. The information was released by the OAB-RJ itself, in a public statement, this Friday (21), and originally published by the news portal [insert name of the original source, if any]. According to the column wide angleAccording to Metrópoles, the president of the regional branch, Ana Tereza Basílio, also requested the preventive suspension of Abud's professional practice until the disciplinary process is concluded.

The final decision will rest with the Ethics and Discipline Tribunal (TED) of the OAB-RJ (Brazilian Bar Association, Rio de Janeiro chapter), which will also guarantee the lawyer the right to speak before the deliberation. According to the opinion of the Inspectorate, the exclusion is equivalent to the revocation of the professional registration. The body concluded that Abud committed "conduct incompatible with the legal profession," becoming "morally unfit to practice the profession" and responsible for "an infamous crime that caused public outrage."

The comment deemed criminal was made in a petition filed on November 11, 2024, in which Abud referred to the magistrate as an "Afro-descendant magistrate with remnants of the slave quarters and repressed or cellular memory of whippings."

The episode generated outrage in the legal community. In an official statement, the Court of Justice of the State of Rio de Janeiro (TJRJ) declared that "the statements made by lawyer José Francisco Abud are incompatible with the respect required in institutional relations and constitute a clear violation of the ethical and legal principles that govern legal activity." The TJRJ also reported that it had forwarded the case to the Public Prosecutor's Office and the OAB-RJ (Brazilian Bar Association of Rio de Janeiro) for investigation in the criminal and disciplinary spheres.

According to the report, the Racial Equality and Women's Directorates of the OAB-RJ (Brazilian Bar Association, Rio de Janeiro chapter) also issued strong statements. "The conduct is absolutely incompatible with the legal profession and with the principles governing the administration of justice," they stated in a joint note. The Women's Directorate emphasized that it will closely monitor the case to ensure the lawyer is held accountable. "Someone who utters racial slurs against a judge lacks the moral standing to practice law," the group stated.