Meritocracia e poder judiciário: uma análise do perfil social e econômico e cultural dos membros do poder judiciário

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the pre-conditions required to achieve a high-ranking public office in the Judiciary and understand the profile of the Brazilian magistrate. Interviews were conducted with state and federal judges in a city located on the western border of Rio Grande do Sul. In addition, a discussion was made about meritocracy and its relationship with social inequality, the Brazilian judiciary, selection process for public tenders, elitist recruitment, homogeneity in the Judiciary, ruling classes and racial issue. The main results show that there is no diversity in the body of the Brazilian judiciary, its composition is in the majority of the dominant classes, although there are exceptions. The problem of the present study aimed to delegitimize the discourse of meritocracy, seen as ideal to achieve a public office considered elite. It was observed that there is a predominance of a traditional profile of those who occupy these public positions. The results show that the homogeneity of the upper middle class still persists in the body of the judiciary and that there must be an opening for other classes to assume positions considered elite in the legal field, which will allow for an increase in diversity.