Brazil criminal law developments

In late July, Brazilian legal analysts clarified that the country’s penal code does not recognize a separate “crime passional” category. Offences are prosecuted as homicide, with sentencing influenced by the motive—self‑serving or vengeful motives can raise penalties, while acts committed under “violent emotion” after provocation may reduce them. The clarification also highlighted that many cases labeled as passion crimes are legally treated as femicide, carrying harsher penalties.

A few days later, a São Paulo court issued a series of rulings that illustrated the judiciary’s active application of criminal and civil law. Notably, a former university researcher was sentenced to 12 years for a fatal rape, a homicide sentence was increased in Tocantins, and a court upheld a collective‑damages award against a church for anti‑LGBTQ statements. The snapshot also recorded decisions on tax exemptions, municipal liabilities, and the suspension of a fraudulent arbitration firm, underscoring the breadth of legal issues currently being adjudicated in Brazil.