THE JUDGE AS A PROCESS MANAGER

TECHNOLOGY, EFFICIENCY, AND INNOVATION IN CONTEMPORARY CIVIL PROCEDURE

Abstract

This article examines the reconfiguration of the judge’s role in contemporary civil procedure, particularly following the cooperative model introduced by the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure of 2015. It proceeds from the understanding that judicial activity is no longer limited to the issuance of decisions, but increasingly incorporates a procedural management function aimed at rationalizing procedural acts, enhancing the efficiency of judicial services, and ensuring the reasonable duration of proceedings. Within this framework, the study analyzes the incorporation of technological resources within the Judiciary, such as electronic case management, automation of routines, and digital tools that support judicial activity, assessing their impacts on the conduct of civil proceedings. The research adopts a deductive method, grounded in a bibliographic review and documentary analysis, examining current procedural legislation, institutional normative acts, and recent doctrinal contributions on procedural management and digital justice. It is argued that the judge’s role as a process manager, when guided by the principles of adversarial participation, cooperation, and due process of law, allows technology to be used as a means of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of judicial protection, without undermining the fundamental guarantees that structure a democratic civil procedure.