The application of bioethics as legal basis in judicial sentences concerning right to health in Brazil

The right to health is linked to life and human dignity. Among the instruments to make it effective, the phenomenon of health litigation has become prominent. In Brazil, courts are increasingly faced with the task of rendering verdicts concerning matters related to health. Nowadays, judges have to deal with issues about health policies, technology incorporations, drug supplies, human autonomy, genetics, and biotechnologies, among others. Lawsuit sentences are now to be built upon the resolution of ethical, legal and philosophical questions. Bioethics presents itself as an instrument and method to help solve legal cases involving the right to health. This paper intends to show that bioethics can be applied in verdicts of lawsuits regarding to right to health in Brazil. It highlights that bioethics can be considered a source of law due to its normative dimension, as well as a hermeneutic method. This essay also aims to show the role for bioethics to help interpret the law and solve hard cases within health law and the right to health. Lastly, it aims to justify the presence of bioethics as legal reasoning to be used by judges in the foundation of their verdicts in lawsuits involving the right to health.

El derecho a la salud está vinculado a la dignidad humana. Entre los instrumentos para hacerlo efectivo se ha destacado el fenómeno de la judicialización de la salud. En Brasil, los tribunales cada vez más deben decidir sobre asuntos relacionados con el derecho a la salud. Jueces deben tratar temas sobre políticas de salud, biotecnologías, medicamentos, autonomía humana, genética, entre otros. Las sentencias judiciales ahora deben resolver cuestiones éticas, legales y filosóficas. La bioética se presenta como un instrumento y un método para ayudar a resolver los casos legales del derecho a la salud. Este estudio pretende mostrar que la bioética puede ser aplicada en sentencias judiciales sobre casos de derecho a la salud en Brasil. Se destaca que la bioética puede ser considerada una fuente de derecho por su dimensión normativa, así como un método hermenéutico. Este ensayo también tiene como objetivo mostrar el papel de la bioética para ayudar a interpretar el derecho y resolver casos difíciles dentro del derecho a la salud. Por último, pretende justificar la presencia de la bioética como razonamiento jurídico a ser utilizado por los jueces en la fundamentación de sus veredictos en juicios que involucren el derecho a la salud.

O direito à saúde está vinculado à dignidade humana. Dentre os instrumentos para efetivá-la, o fenômeno da judicialização da saúde tem se destacado. No Brasil, os tribunais se deparam cada vez mais com a tarefa de julgar processos relacionadas ao direito à saúde. Atualmente, os juízes têm que lidar com questões sobre políticas de saúde, incorporação de tecnologias, fornecimento de medicamentos, autonomia, genética, biotecnologias, entre outros. As sentenças judiciais devem ser construídas com base também na resolução de questões éticas, legais e filosóficas. A bioética apresenta-se como instrumento e método para auxiliar na resolução de casos jurídicos envolvendo o direito à saúde. Este trabalho pretende mostrar que a bioética pode ser aplicada no julgamento de ações judiciais relativas ao direito à saúde no Brasil. Destaca que a bioética pode ser considerada fonte do direito por sua dimensão normativa, bem como método hermenêutico. Este ensaio também visa mostrar o papel da bioética para ajudar a interpretar a lei e resolver casos difíceis dentro do direito sanitário e do direito à saúde. Por fim, visa justificar a presença da bioética como fundamentação jurídica a ser utilizada pelos magistrados na fundamentação de suas sentenças em ações que envolvam o direito à saúde.

The Effect of Extralegal Factors in Decision-Making About Juvenile Offenders in Chile: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

This study seeks to identify the underlying factors related to the sentencing process for juvenile justice cases in Chile. To this end, a factorial survey method or quasi-experimental vignette method was used. This method allows us to understand with greater clarity the complex cognitive process involved in judicial decision-making. The results confirm that legal factors carry the critical weight for judicial decisions, though extralegal factors also play a role. Among these, factors associated with the offender (such as drug use and school attendance) and characteristics of the judges themselves (such as judicial attitudes and their previous experience) all influenced the decision-making process. These findings allow us to provide evidence about decision-making in the Latin American contexts and add to existing evidence in order to understand the moderating effect of certain class and gender stereotypes.

Interrogatorios y contrainterrogatorios en niños(as) testigos víctimas de delitos sexuales

El testimonio infantil en delitos sexuales ha sido un tema investigado. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo, analizar las preguntas del interrogatorio y contrainterrogatorio, realizadas a niños(as) cuando rinden testimonio presumiéndose víctimas de delitos sexuales, bajo un estudio cualitativo con un diseño narrativo. Las unidades de análisis fueron las preguntas que hicieron la Fiscalía, Defensa, ministerio público y el juez en interrogatorio y contrainterrogatorio a niños(as) como víctimas en audiencias de juicio oral. Se contabilizaron 1126 preguntas, clasificadas en dos categorías orientadoras: tipos de preguntas y elementos de apoyo. Respecto a la primera, se generaron los siguientes códigos: preguntas frecuentes y necesarias, de hechos específicos, prohibidas e inadecuadas, aclaratorias del juez, preguntas de opinión del niño(a) y objetadas; la segunda categoría se codificó en los medios electrónicos, los juegos, dibujos anatómicos, láminas y videos. Los datos se analizaron con el software ATLAS.ti 7.5.4. La investigación demuestra que los actores judiciales deben considerar la forma en que hacen las preguntas para cumplir con los mínimos estándares legales, además de preservar el bienestar integral de los niños, niñas y adolescentes (NNA), por lo que se sugiere fomentar la formación en quienes interrogan.

The testimony of children in sexual crimes has been a subject investigated, but its study is not frequent when children are called as witnesses. The objective of this investigation was to analyze the interrogation and cross-examination questions made to children when they testify presuming victims of sexual crimes. It is a qualitative study, under a Narrative Design. The questions were obtained from eight videos of children giving testimony in oral hearing. The units of analysis were the questions asked by the Office of the Prosecutor, Defense, Public Pros ecutor and the Judge in the practice of the cross-examination and cross-examination. There were 1126 questions, classified into two guiding categories: types of questions and support elements. The data was analyzed with Atlas Ti software. Regarding the types of questions, the following codes were generated: Frequent and necessary questions, questions of specific facts, forbidden and inadequate questions, clarifying questions of the Judge, questions of opinion of the child and questions objected. And regarding the support elements, electronic media, games, anatomical drawings, pictures and videos. The investigation shows that judicial actors must not only consider the way in which they ask questions, in order to comply with the minimum legal standards, but that the children be considered as a psychological subject, whose integral welfare should be preserved, so it is suggested to encourage training in those who question.

Pericias psicológicas y otros medios probatorios de las decisiones en las comisarías de familia de Bogotá: casos de violencia de pareja contra la mujer / Forensic Psychological Evaluation and Other Evidences to the Decision Making Process in Administrative Family Courts in Bogotá: Partner Violence Against Women

En este artículo se presenta el estudio que establece la asociación de las pericias psicológicas y otros medios probatorios con las decisiones de los operadores de justicia en las Comisarías de Familia de Bogotá; para lo cual, se realizó una investigación con diseño analítico de corte transversal descriptivo con 47 mujeres víctimas de violencia de pareja que solicitaron medida de protección en el Centro de Atención Integral contra la Violencia Intrafamiliar (CAVIF). Se analizaron los fallos de las medidas de protección definitivas impuestas en 16 comisarías de familia de 13 localidades de Bogotá. Los resultados mostraron que no existe asociación entre la utilización de las pericias psicológicas, dictamen de lesiones no fatales del Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses (INMLCF), informes sociales, denuncias de Fiscalía y testimonios de terceros, con las decisiones tomadas por los comisarios de familia. Solo se encontró asociación entre la aceptación de cargos, con las decisiones de aprobación de acuerdo conciliatorio y conminación a no agresión del accionado.

This study aimed to establish the association of the forensic psychological evaluation and other evidences to the decision making process by judicial operators in administrative family courts in Bogotá, through a research with a transversal descriptive cut analytical design on 47 women, victims of partner violence, who sought protective measures at the Integral Care Center against Domestic Violence (CAVIF). Analyzing the final protective measures imposed in 16 administrative family courts on Bogotá, the results showed no association between the use of forensic psychological evaluations, expert's concept of nonfatal injuries from the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF), social forensic report, legal complaint, witness testimony and the decisions made by the family commissioner. The only association found was between acceptance of charges and approval decisions for settlement's agreements, as well as with the party's injunction to non-aggression.