Politics · Brazil · 3 hrs ago
Brazilian courts must accept qualifying gov.br-signed documents
Brazil’s National Council of Justice says courts must accept qualifying gov.br signatures on powers of attorney and other documents filed in court cases.
The ruling applies to electronic signatures made through silver- and gold-level gov.br accounts, when they can be validated through an official mechanism.
Gov.br is Brazil’s government platform, while qualified digital signatures are linked to the country’s ICP-Brasil certificate system.
The decision means courts cannot reject a document only because it lacks an ICP-Brasil certificate, which the council said could create an unjustified barrier to access to justice.
Judges can still order further checks if there are concrete reasons to doubt a signature or the lawyer’s authority, and scanned copies of handwritten powers of attorney must also be considered.
The council will update the rules for the PJe court system to set out the new requirements and safeguards.
Brazil’s National Council of Justice ruled that courts must accept qualifying documents signed through the gov.br platform.
The decision covers electronic signatures from gov.br accounts at the silver and gold levels, subject to official validation requirements.
A missing qualified digital certificate alone cannot justify automatic rejection of a document.
Judges may order additional checks when there are concrete grounds to question a signature or legal representation.
The council also recognized handwritten powers of attorney that have been scanned and ordered an update to rules governing the PJe electronic court system.
- Who
- Brazil’s National Council of Justice (CNJ) issued the decision.
- What
- Courts must accept qualifying process documents signed through gov.br, subject to validation requirements.
- When
- The decision was approved on October 27, 2026, during the CNJ’s 17th ordinary session.
- Where
- Brazil.
- Why
- To support access to justice and provide consistent rules for accepting electronic signatures.
Brazil’s National Council of Justice
Brazilian Association of Judges
Fraud concerns
Brazil’s National Council of Justice
The CNJ said qualifying gov.br signatures should be accepted, while preserving judges’ authority to order additional checks when there are concrete doubts.
Brazilian Association of Judges
The association warned of fraud risks and argued judges should be able to require qualified or handwritten signatures to verify powers of attorney.
Access and requirements
Brazil’s National Council of Justice
The CNJ said documents should not be rejected solely because they lack a specific digital certificate.
Brazilian Association of Judges
The association supported stronger signature requirements to confirm authenticity and the parties’ authorization.
The CNJ approved the decision during its 17th ordinary session.
The CNJ directed an update to the resolution governing the PJe system to set out the rules for accepting gov.br signatures.
- Platform
- gov.br
- Accepted account levels
- Silver and gold
- Validation body
- National Institute of Information Technology (ITI)
- System rules to be updated
- CNJ Resolution 185/13, which established PJe
- Vote
- Approved unanimously during the CNJ’s 17th ordinary session
3 sources
What people are saying
The absence of a specific certificate, by itself, is not an argument for the generic refusal of a power of attorney or document. It is necessary to verify whether there are reliable means of identification and validation.
Access to justice should not be restricted by technological requirements that do not have sufficient legal or technical grounds.