Photo: Rosini Coutinho/SCO/STF
Not only do Ministers of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) hide their agendas or fail to account for their expenses during their trips to Europe, but also to Brazil. Between January 2023 and April 2024, only five of the eleven judges disclosed their activities. O Estado de S.Paulo reported that only four did so regularly.
It was Minister Edson Facin who registered the highest number of commitments in this period (201), followed by Luis Roberto Barroso (154), Carmen Lucía (148) and Cristiano Zanin (99).
Minister Dias Toffoli announced a commitment of only eight days between February 1 and 23, 2023. After that, according to the newspaper’s poll, the judge stopped sharing his actions.
Minister Flavio Dino, newly arrived at the Supreme Court, has not revealed his agenda once since taking office, similar to his colleagues Alexandre de Moraes, Luiz Fuchs, Gilmar Méndez, André Mendonça and Cassio Nunes Márquez.
Although the Code of Ethics of the Judiciary stipulates that the actions of judges must be guided by the principle of transparency and the Federal Constitution stipulates that “the direct and indirect public administration of any of the powers of the Union […] It will comply with the principles of legality, impersonality, ethics, publicity and efficiency,” and the STF’s internal regulations do not require disclosure of agendas.
The lack of commitment in the STF allowed Ministers Andres Mendonça, Nunes Márquez and Gilmar Méndez, for example, to have “secret agendas” with former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) during the 2022 elections, amid rising tensions between the executive branch. and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which was headed at the time by Alexandre de Moraes.
Likewise, Ministers Gilmar Méndez, Alexandre de Moraes, Flavio Dino and Cristiano Zanin had dinner with President Lula (PT) on April 15, 2024, at the residence of the STF Dean. None of the judges posted the meeting on the STF agenda.
STF ministers are not responsible
Ministers Gilmar Mendes and Dias Toffoli, of the Federal Supreme Court, and the Prosecutor General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, are expected to participate in three legal events in Europe within a two-week period without providing clarifications regarding the costs and periods outside Brazil.
Between April 24 and 26, the judges and the PGR were in London, United Kingdom, to participate in the first Legal Forum – Brasil de Ideias, together with at least ten other authorities of the Brazilian judiciary.
They were also confirmed at the Forum on Transformations – Digital Revolution and Democracy, held by the Brazilian-European Integration Forum in partnership with the IDP (Brazilian Institute of Dereto Publico), owned by Gilmar, which will be held in Madrid, Spain, next Friday – Friday, May 3.
Gilmar, Toffoli and Jeunet will also participate in a third event in Madrid, organized by the Federal Council of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and the Escuela de Practica Juridica of the Complutense University School of Law of Madrid, between May 6 and 2018. VIII.
With information from O Antagonista and Portal 96Fm
Charlotte Whitmore is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a broad range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and practical information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the UK and beyond.