The then prosecutor Saulo de Castro Abreu Filho would face Márcio Thomaz Bastos in a moment. “I´ll face the best”, said the prosecutor. Therefore, he was already considered the best of the criminal law for 25 years. At that time, criminalists had the attention in cases of homicide and few students were interested in the area.
Soon started to occur the first suits related to the national financial system. Márcio acted in all important cases and his reputation only increased, equally increasing the prestige of the profession. He was the main responsible for the step change of the criminal law, that currently is one of the highlight areas, attracting dozens of students.
Respected by all his colleagues and recognized as the best, MTB (as he used to like to be referred to) had active participation at the important moments of our recent history: after acting as president of the Brazilian BAR Association (OAB) of São Paulo, assumed the national presidency of the OAB, and participated actively of the Constitutional Convention, fighting, as usual, for citizen´s guarantees.
Then he was character of great notability in the impeachment of Fernando Collor. Connected to PT (Workers Party), he was advisor of the most important leader of the party, but he was always respected and consulted by the main names of the opposition. Everyone wanted to hear him.
He was fanatical about work. He used to say that canceled anything for client´s distress. We worked on Saturdays, Sundays, at night; worked ten hours a day, including in his last years. When demanded, he used to accept all cases.
Once he was looked for to assume the defense of a noisy case, whose accused was being hated by the media. I considered if it was the case to undertake such battle at that time of the life: “People have confused the lawyer with the accused, which affects directly the right of defense. If there is someone that should assume, this person is me, because I can handle it”. And he did.
He was passionate about the right to adversary proceeding.
Invited by president Lula, assumed the Ministry of Justice. He was one of the best ministers of the history. Founder of the reform of the Judiciary Branch, he was the great responsible for the establishment of the National Justice Council (CNJ), the Secretariat of Economic Law and CADE started to act as never, organized and qualified the Federal Police.
He was criticized by lawyers when there was the first wave of operations of the Federal Police (PF). What was occurring is that the best lawyer of the country had placed all Federal Police´s expertise at the disposal of the State. The result is that became more difficult to advocate and the opponent that was weak, became strong.
He was one of the founders of the Defense Institute of the Defense Law (IDDD), which help thousands of humble people through many projects. Because of a whim of the history, he passed away on the Black Awareness Day, after having defended with success at the Supreme the policy of racial quotas in the public universities.
As if this were not enough, he had an amazing intuition, including to choose people that worked with him. The majority of his interns currently stands out in the advocacy. When he was in the Ministry, he formed a new team, composed of young people that currently hold leading positions.
Despite of being an admirer, I just met him in 2007 and, obviously I wanted to be close to him to learn. We became close friends despite the difference in age. He was my biggest partner and I got along with a brilliant man. He will be missed for a new generation of lawyers. He had a special attention to the youngest people, advised with an incredible modesty.
Advocacy loses its major reference, and Brazil one of its best minds. It is not possible to replace him, but it is completely possible to observe that his passage on Earth was not in vain. He let marks that will not be forgotten. His legacy shall consist in the history.
