Public Defenders’ Office of the State of São Paulo, social participation and access to justice

Abstract

Studying the Public Defense Office of the State of São Paulo reminds us of a singular history of struggle for human rights in Brazil. Although foreseen in the Constitution of 1988, in São Paulo the Defense Office was implemented only in 2006, resulting from the mobilization of more than 400 politically organized entities. This peculiarity has repercussions on the presence of civil society in the struggle for access to justice since the elaboration of the institution's draft to the definition of its agenda in 10 years of  existence. This essay proposes to reflect on the results of the authors' experience in the institution, from the period of 2012 to 2015, in dialogue with activists, professionals and users of the service; observing the screening structure and analyzing deliberations regarding the demand for mental health. This immersion aimed to analyze alternatives found by the Institution to ensure access to the rights, specifically, of people with mental suffering.

Keywords: Social Participation. Mental health. Public defense.