National Council of the Public Prosecution Service (CNMP): what it does and how to file

The National Council of the Public Prosecution Service (Conselho Nacional do Ministério Público, CNMP) is neither a criminal investigation body nor a court. It is the body responsible for external oversight of the administrative, financial and disciplinary conduct of the entire Brazilian Public Prosecution Service, both federal and state.

Created by Constitutional Amendment No. 45/2004 and installed in June 2005, the CNMP works to safeguard the Prosecution Service's functional and administrative autonomy, compliance with Article 37 of the Constitution (principles of public administration) and the performance of its members' official duties.

How the CNMP is composed

The body has 14 councillors serving two-year terms, renewable once. The Prosecutor General of the Republic presides.

Seats include representatives of the Federal Public Prosecution Service and of the states, of the judiciary (nominated by the Supreme Federal Court and the Superior Court of Justice), of the legal profession (nominated by the Brazilian Bar Association, OAB) and of civil society (one nominated by the Chamber of Deputies and one by the Senate). The Plenary is the highest deliberative body, and its decisions cannot be appealed, except through motions for clarification (embargos de declaração).

Who can file with the CNMP

The CNMP acts through complaints, representations, requests for measures and disciplinary proceedings against members of the Public Prosecution Service.

Any citizen can file with the Council without a lawyer, as long as the submission relates to the body's institutional remit, that is:

• the conduct of prosecutors in the performance of their duties;
• the legality of the Prosecution Service's administrative acts;
• unjustified delays in proceedings.

Anonymous complaints are not processed by the National Ombudsman's Office, under Article 35 of the Internal Rules. Complainants may, however, request confidentiality of their personal data, provided there is a well-founded reason.

How to file with the CNMP

The main channel is the National Ombudsman's Office of the Public Prosecution Service, which receives complaints, representations, criticism, suggestions, compliments and information requests. Submissions can be made through:

• the Ouvidoria Cidadã system (online form);
• WhatsApp: (61) 3366-9229;
• telephone: (61) 3315-9468 or 3315-9467;
• e-mail: ouvidoria@cnmp.mp.br;
• in person at the headquarters in Brasília, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

To open a specific proceeding, such as a disciplinary complaint, the request must be filed in the ELO System (elo.cnmp.mp.br) or directly with the CNMP's Case Registration Unit (Setor de Autuação). The initial petition must include the author's full details (name, CPF or CNPJ taxpayer number, proof of address), a detailed account of the facts and the request itself, failing which the rapporteur may decline to hear it.

The Ombudsman's Office also runs specialized channels: the Women's Ombudsman, for domestic and gender-based violence, and the National Ombudsman for Combating Police Violence, for reports of abuse in police stops.

Why the CNMP matters

Knowing the CNMP means knowing that the Public Prosecution Service, the institution that oversees others, is also overseen. The CNMP exists to ensure that the Prosecution Service acts in line with legality, transparency and efficiency.

For citizens facing irregular conduct by a prosecutor, or an unjustified standstill in a proceeding, the CNMP is the proper institutional channel, not the press or social media. A well-prepared complaint, with objective facts and documents, is what separates a submission that triggers an inquiry from one that is dismissed.

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