CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE IN FOCUS: HOW THE ADAPTED JUSTICE FRAMEWORK OF THE MEXICAN PROTOCOL REDEFINES THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL LEGAL NORMS

Resumo

This article examines the need for a child- and adolescent-friendly justice system in Brazil in light of structural inequalities, territorial asymmetries, and forensic practices that remain shaped by adult-centered rationalities. It takes as its reference the Mexican Protocol for Judging with a Child and Adolescent Perspective, understood as a methodological framework capable of translating the principles of comprehensive protection, absolute priority, and the best interests of the child into verifiable procedural practices. The objective is to demonstrate how guidelines on participation, qualified listening, child-friendly environments, the use of technology, prevention of revictimization, and evidentiary reasoning can guide judicial decisions that are sensitive to the developmental needs of children and adolescents. The research adopts a hypothetical-deductive method and documentary analysis of international legal instruments, the Mexican Protocol, Brazilian regulations, and national institutional experiences, combined with jurisprudential dialogue. The findings reveal the absence of a uniform national standard in Brazil, the persistence of regional inequalities, insufficient professional training, infrastructure deficiencies, inadequate procedural communication, limited predictability in judicial decision-making, and weaknesses in monitoring judicial practices. The article concludes that the establishment of a national protocol, incorporating a minimum standard of guarantees, continuous professional training, audiovisual recording of interviews, accessible language, clear procedural workflows, and performance evaluation through indicators, constitutes an urgent measure to ensure the effective realization of the rights of children and adolescents within the Brazilian justice system, in accordance with both constitutional and international legal frameworks.