Work

Barra Mansa, Rio de Janeiro, 1911–1918: A Brief History of Judging, or How Judicial Decisions Changed Over Time

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This paper investigates how a Brazilian judge in Barra Mansa, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, adjudicated cases in the early 20th century. It focuses on how Judge Torres made decisions and engaged with legal writings, judicial precedents, and laws. The study seeks to uncover the interrelated lines he drew between the legal framework governing adjudication and the normative rules he applied in concrete cases. Since jury trials were an exception in the Brazilian legal system and none occurred in Barra Mansa during the research period, Torres’s rulings played a central role in shaping local concepts of justice. Analyzing judicial decision-making in a specific town and time frame sheds light on the broader dynamics of legal practice in early 20th-century Brazil.

Source: Law and History Review

DOI: 10.1017/s0738248026101606

Author: Gustavo Silveira Siqueira

Institutions: Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Language: English

Topic: Brazilian Legal Issues

Subfield: Law

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550