Linguagem simples no setor público e a experiência do Tribunal de Justiça da Paraíba (TJPB)

Abstract

Plain Language is a form of communication that seeks to make content clear, direct, and accessible to everyone, without losing technical accuracy. Its use began in the mid-1940s, in the United States and England, with the aim of facilitating the understanding of public documents. In Brazil, it was officially adopted in 2019, with the creation of the Municipal Plain Language Program by the City of São Paulo. This research aims to analyze the advances regarding the use of plain language in the public sector in Brazil, highlighting the case of the Court of Justice of Paraíba (TJPB). For this, we used the research of a bibliographic exploratory nature, based on the main concepts of the theme and on institutional documents, such as the National Pact of the Judiciary for Plain Language for the discussion of the TJPB experience. The results show initiatives such as the standardization of summaries of judicial decisions and the reduction of technical terms, through the training of civil servants and magistrates. The TJPB was recognized with the Simple Language Seal, granted by the National Council of Justice (CNJ), as a reference in the application of this communicational approach.