Teoria do Caso como Método para a Fundamentação das Decisões Judiciais Criminais

This article aims to analyze the potential use of the case theory method to support criminal judicial decisions. Although part of the researched doctrine emphasizes that the theory of the case would be an exclusive tool for the prosecution and defense, never for the judge, it is investigated the hypothesis that, under Brazilian legislation, the requirement of reasoning for judicial decisions favors the use, within of constitutional limits, of the theory of the case in the elaboration of the criminal sentence. The main research method was that of comparative law, highlighting the study of case theory in Spanish-speaking countries that contain legal provisions about it. Such countries were also privileged, due to the fact that they belong to the civil law system, more compatible with the Brazilian one. The national doctrine on the subject was also examined, which is scarcer given the absence of specific legal provision on the theory of the case in the Brazilian Criminal Procedure Code. As a result of the present research, it was concluded that this methodology, despite not being expressed in the law, can be used by the parties and also by the judges, observing, for the latter, the limitations of the accusatory system.