Post by account_disabled on Mar 12, 2024 23:34:44 GMT -6
Elderly people are the age group that most uses face-to-face service at bank branches, due to their lack of familiarity with computers and cell phones. Therefore, it is disproportionate and unreasonable to prohibit the operation of these establishments, even with the aim of protecting the elderly, members of the Covid-19 risk group. Because they depend on these services to obtain money for their subsistence.
Disclosure
For the judge, the elderly are the most affected by the closure of bank branches in Rio
Reproduction
This was the basis used by the 10th Public Finance Court of Rio de Janeiro to prohibit the city hall from imposing restrictions on banks from providing any service through in-person service to people over 60 years of age. In case of non-compliance, the city hall will have to pay a daily fine of R$500,000.
In March, Rio City Hall suspended B2B Lead the operation of bank branches to avoid crowds and, therefore, contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Public Prosecutor's Office and the Public Defender's Office filed a public civil action asking for the measure to be revoked. In its defense, the city hall argued that it sought to preserve public health.
Judge João Luiz Ferraz de Oliveira Lima granted an injunction to order the municipality to stop prohibiting agencies from providing in-person assistance to people over 60 years of age. He maintained the decision on the merits. According to the judge, the rule made everyday life difficult for the elderly.
"Thus, under the pretext of protecting the health of the elderly, the contested rule acts in a disproportionate and unreasonable way. And even worse: it encourages the occurrence of situations in which this group, finding themselves in the urgent need to make use of the face-to-face service, but prevented , you will end up, in order not to be deprived of cash essential to your subsistence, having to look for alternative solutions that are not very advisable, such as, for example, entrusting the use and safekeeping of bank cards and personal passwords to third parties who may take advantage of the person's fragility to obtain an advantage or commit fraud," said the judge.
Lima also highlighted that banking institutions have adopted measures to avoid contagion among the elderly, such as reserving time for personalized service and intensifying hygiene measures in their facilities. Almost five months after the publication of the rule and the granting of the injunction, "there is no evidence that access by the elderly to bank branches has caused harm to the health of this population segment", assessed the judge.