How a Systems Perspective Can Help Organizing Data of Judiciary Power in the Culture of Access to Information

Abstract

The computing era opens new democratic possibilities and urges: there is an ongoing tension in the frontier between government and society, the least demanding for more access to public information. Brazilian Judiciary Power stands out with project Justice in Numbers and the publishing of evaluation of goals for the people annually. However, it must be noticed: data gathering doesnt mean more information. The way to organize data as elements is what creates information. This organization, the way it happens and the data collected to make it are essential in the process of producing information about Judiciary Power. Within this framework, this paper investigates the problem: in a systems perspective, what are the shortcomings in gathering and treating data of Justice in Numbers report, taking in account its commitment to satisfy the demand for qualified information which pervades access culture, enabling identification of deficits and solutions to accomplish the social goal of Judiciary Power? The approach is by hypothetical-deductive method, the paper being divided in three sections: opens with an application of Systems Theory of Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela to the context of Democratic State, recognizing Judiciary Power as component of the state system, formed by relations of communication and cognition; this input is used for a critical analysis of data and measurers of Justice in Numbers in its role of base to producing the information which supports the managing of Brazilian Judiciary Power. At the end, it is indicated a sample of more systemic possibilities for working with data and measurers in judicial system.