Brazilian President Lula's Comment Sparks Bar Association Defense of Criminal Lawyers

August is celebrated as Law Month in Brazil, recalling the 1827 imperial decree by Dom Pedro I that established the first law schools in Olinda and São Paulo.

On 30 July, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that “advogado criminalista não sabe defender inocente. Criminalista defende bandido.” The São Paulo branch of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB‑SP) and the Association of Brazilian Criminal Lawyers (ABRAC) publicly repudiated the remark, stating that criminal defence protects constitutional guarantees such as due process, broad defence and the adversarial system. The episode revived discussion about the broader societal role of lawyers, emphasizing prevention, citizenship and the protection of democratic rights beyond courtroom victories.