03/06/2025
Since May 16, 2025, all judicial communications in Brazil have been conducted exclusively through the Domicílio Judicial Eletrônico (DJE) or the Diário de Justiça Eletrônico Nacional (DJEN). This change, established by Resolution No. 569/2024 of the National Council of Justice (CNJ), represents a significant milestone in the digital transformation of the judicial system, standardizing the procedures for serving subpoenas, notices, and other judicial communications nationwide.
The DJE was introduced as a secure digital platform designed to facilitate the delivery of official communications directly to the parties involved in legal proceedings. Registration is mandatory for all legal entities, including individual microentrepreneurs (MEIs), and optional for natural person. Through DJE, communication with the courts has become more streamlined and efficient, reducing administrative costs and supporting the timely observance of procedural deadlines.
The DJEN, on the other hand, was established to centralize the publication of judicial acts from all Brazilian courts within a single official gazette. Previously, each court maintained its own separate publication system, which made it difficult to track procedural deadlines and judicial decisions. With the full integration of DJEN, deadlines are now calculated from the date of publication on this unified platform, enhancing both transparency and ease of access to legal information.
Under the new system introduced by DJE, deadlines are calculated according to standardized criteria. For subpoenas, if the recipient confirms receipt, the deadline begins on the fifth business day following confirmation. In the absence of confirmation, the rules differ depending on the nature of the recipient: for public legal entities, the deadline begins ten calendar days after the summons is sent through DJE; for private legal entities, the deadline does not commence, and the summons must be resent. In such cases, failure to confirm receipt must be duly justified; otherwise, a fine may be imposed.
Regarding judicial notices and other communications, if confirmation is received, the deadline begins on the date of confirmation, or on the next business day if confirmation occurs on a non-business day. If there is no confirmation, the deadline begins ten calendar days after the notice is sent electronically.
In the case of DJEN, procedural deadlines commence on the first business day following the date of publication, which is the day after the content is made available in the system. From the date the new regulation took effect, communications sent through other means—such as regular mail, email, or regional court gazettes—are deemed informational only and are not valid for the purpose of deadline computation.
This development is part of the Justiça 4.0 Program, a joint initiative by the CNJ in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the support of the Brazilian Federation of Banks (FEBRABAN). It reflects a broader effort to modernize Brazil’s justice system by expanding access, reducing operational costs, and promoting greater procedural efficiency. It is essential that companies and individuals remain attentive to this new framework to ensure proper receipt of judicial communications and full compliance with legal deadlines.
Authored by: Marco Lorencini
