All of the excerpts transcribed above have been circulated in the news section on the website of the Superior Labor Court (TST) in recent months. The professionals who have been litigating in the Labor Courts for some time know that decisions favoring greater reasonableness and flexibility in the application of procedural law were not common.

The Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro has enacted a new special program for the payment of tax debts and fines from the State Accounting Court, through Complementary Law 182/2018 (LC 182/2018), published last Friday (September 21). Justified by the need to pay the 13th salaries of the Executive's officers, the measure came as an exception to Complementary Law 175/2016, which prohibited the grant of amnesty or remission of tax debts by the State of Rio de Janeiro for 10 years.

On September 5, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) issued a new regulation, Resolution No. 21/2018, to govern disclosure of sensitive materials produced in the course of administrative proceedings to investigate antitrust violations.

Municipal Complementary Law (LC) No. 192/2018, published on July 19, establishes special conditions for the licensing of buildings (future improvements – named “mais valerá”) and additions in buildings (improvements – named “mais-valia”) in order to stimulate the regularization of buildings in the city of Rio de Janeiro and increase tax collection of the municipality. In 2015, when another improvements law was enacted, legalization of additions yielded R$ 1 billion for municipal public coffers.

Presidential Decree (MP) No. 845/18, published on July 20, established the National Railway Development Fund (FNDF), with the objective of allocating resources to the national railway system. The FNDF will give priority to the implementation of the stretch between the Port of Vila do Conde in Pará and the North-South Track (EF-151 or FNS). The investments will start in the municipality of Barcarena/PA, per the terms of article 3 of MP 845/18.

The Brazilian Clean Company Act or the Anti-Corruption Law (No. 12,846/2013) became noteworthy due to the creation of a normative framework that allows for punishment of companies for acts of corruption carried out on their behalf or benefit. Following market trends and global best practices, the same law also established an incentive to create and implement integrity (or compliance) programs within companies.