Frases dos Ministros do STF em inglês

The Supreme Federal Court (commonly abbreviated as STF) is the highest court of law (a mais alta corte / instituição jurídica) of Brazil and it was established in 1829. The court is composed by eleven Justices (Ministros (do Poder Judiciário) / Ministros do Tribunal). They are chosen among native Brazilian citizens, who have notable legal knowledge and are over 35 and under 65 years old, according to the article 12, § 3, IV, and article 101, both from the Brazilian Federal Constitution.

The President of the Republic is responsible for nominating someone for the lifelong office of Justice of the Supreme Federal Court. The nominee cannot be someone related in blood or in affinity to any current Justice of the Court, in ascending, descending or collateral line, until third degree. The nominee is then submitted to a public hearing before the Senate Citizenship, Constitution and Justice Committee and needs to be approved afterwards by the absolute majority of the members of the Senate. Once approved, the nominee can be designated Justice by the President of the Republic and take office in a solemn session.

The Justices will only forfeit the position by resignation, compulsory retirement (at 75 years old) or impeachment. Only the Federal Senate have the competence to sue and sentence the Justices of the Supreme Court, in crimes of malversation, by the article 52 of the Federal Constitution. It also establishes that the condemnation of the denounced Justice depends on the approval of at least two thirds of the Senate members, being the respective utmost penalty the loss of his position and his prohibition on taking on a public office for eight years, not withstanding other legal sanctions.

Just for curiosity, the Brazilian Supreme Court in its initial composition had fifteen ministers, but the number of ministers was reduced to eleven during the Provisory Gorvernment in 1931. In 1965, the number was raised to 16 and returned to eleven in 1969, which stays until nowadays. In the times of Brazilian Empire, it was known as House of Appeals of Brazil and the Supreme Justice Court (1822-1889). Since its foundation, around 300 have already served in the Court. The President and Vice-president of the Court are elected by their peers for a term of two years by secret ballot. Re-election for a consecutive term is not allowed. The currently serving Chief Justice of the Court (Presidente do Supremo Tribunal) is Dias Toffoli, who assumed the position on September 13th, 2018.

Here we have some of the Justices' statements:

1) "O que importa é a engrenagem para dissimular e tornar oculta a destinação [do dinheiro] e um grande esquema de corrupção. Após a corrupção passiva, os réus praticaram outros atos que caracterizam lavagem de dinheiro".
(Joaquim Barbosa)

>> What matters is the plan used to cover-up and even conceal the destination [of the money] and a major corruption scheme. Beside the misconduct, the defendants committed other acts which characterize money laundering.

REFERENCE: Joaquim Barbosa's quote at the Monthly Stipend Corruption Trial on September 27th, 2012.

2) "O grau de civilidade de uma sociedade se mede pelo grau de liberdade da mulher."
(Ayres Britto)

>> The degree of civility in society is measured by the degree of women's freedom.

REFERENCE: Ayres Britto's vote for abortion for anencephaly cases on October 20th, 2004.

3) "Porque o padrão civilizatório de um povo se mede pela sua capacidade de observar as normas naturalmente. Não é uma coisa muito simpática, apesar de parecer, essa ideia de que no Brasil somos um povo muito alegre, que nós sempre damos um ‘jeitinho’ para as coisas. Acho que isso, no fundo, facilita a desobediência e desautoriza o sistema."
(Teori Zavascki)

>> Because of the people's civilizing standard is measured by their ability of checking rules naturally. It is not a very nice thing, although it seems, the idea that we, Brazilians, are too lively and we always bend the rules. Deep down, I believe it makes the disobedience easier and undermines the system.

REFERENCE: Teori Zavascki gave a speech for lawyers at an event held in São Paulo on October 24th, 2016.

4) "A imprensa é livre e não é livre como poder."
(Cármen Lúcia)

>> The press is free and it cannot act as Estate freely.

REFERENCE: Cármem Lúcia defending her opinion about freedom of speech at 10th ANER (Associação Nacional dos Editores de Revista - The National Association of Magazine Editors) seminar on October 21st, 2016.

5) "Falta a percepção de que não se pode falar em Constituição Federal sem levar em conta acima de tudo a igualdade. Precisamos saldar essa dívida, no tocante a alcançar-se a igualdade."
(Marco Aurélio Mello)

There is a lack of perception that it is impossible to talk about the Federal Constitution without considering equality most. We need to discuss about it first, in terms of achieving equality.

6) "Não posso deixar de concordar com o relator que a ideia [cota racial] é adequada, necessária, tem peso suficiente para justificar as restrições que traz a certos direitos de outras etnias. Mas é um experimento que o Estado brasileiro está fazendo e que pode ser controlado e aperfeiçoado."
(Cezar Peluso)

I cannot help agreeing with the rapporteur that the idea [racial quota] is suitable, necessary, and it has sufficient influence to justify the restrictions that it brings to certain rights of other ethnic groups, but it is an experiment which the Brazilian State is performing and that can be controlled and improved.

REFERENCE: Marco Aurélio and Cezar Peluso presenting their votes about racial quota at STF on April 26th, 2012.

7) "Decidi rever provas do processo e me deparei com documentos que me levaram a dar uma guinada de 180º".
(Ricardo Lewandowski)

I decided to review the evidence of the process and came across documents which led me to somewhat change my point of view.

REFERENCE: Lewandowski defending his decision about the case of monthly stipend at STF on August 23rd, 2012.

8) "Não aceito colega que bate no peito e diz que julga independentemente do que a opinião pública pensa".
(Luiz Fux)

I do not agree with colleagues who strongly make their final decisions and state they judge regardless of the current public opinion.

REFERENCE: Fux took part in the 1st Brazilian National Meeting for Peace Cup Soccer, held in Rio de Janeiro State Court of Justice on June 26th, 2015.

9) "Por meio da criminalização, o Estado retira da mulher a possibilidade de submissão a um procedimento médico seguro. Não raro, mulheres pobres precisam recorrer a clínicas clandestinas sem qualquer infraestrutura médica ou a procedimentos precários e primitivos, que lhes oferecem elevados riscos de lesões, mutilações e óbito."
(Luís Roberto Barroso)

The State removes the possibility for women to have a safe treatment procedure through criminalization. Deprived women often need to go to underground clinics lacking any medical infrastructure and submitting themselves to poor and primitive procedures, which runs the high risk of injuries, mutilation and death.

REFERENCE: Barroso makes his final decision about the decriminalization of abortion in Brazil on November 29th, 2016.

10) "Essa lei foi tão mal feita que parece ter sido feita por bêbados. E depois os bêbados protestaram dizendo que não fazem leis tão ruins."
(Gilmar Mendes)

This law was so badly made that it seems to me it has been made by drunks and then they have protested claiming they do not make such bad laws.

REFERENCE: Mendes' opinion about the Supplementary Law no. 135 of 2010, the Clean Record Act on August 17th, 2016.

11) "O Congresso não vai criminalizar a liberdade do Judiciário e do Ministério Público. Não preocupa ao Poder Judiciário e ao MP a regulamentação do abuso de autoridade, o que preocupa é a regulamentação que entre no crime de posicionamento."
(Alexandre de Moraes)

The Congress is not going to criminalize the freedom of the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor's Office. The regulation of abuse of power does not concern the Judiciary and the Prosecutor's Office; what concerns them is the regulation which deals with the insubordination.

REFERENCE: Alexandre de Moraes was carefully assessed by the Brazilian Senate on February 21st, 2017.

12) "O conjunto probatório deste processo, na minha visão, aponta no sentido da existência de conluio para a corrupção de deputados federais com vistas à obtenção de apoio político."
(Rosa Weber)

From my point of view, the evidential set of this case points to a collusion for the corruption of federal deputies in order to get political support.

REFERENCE: Rosa Weber sentenced the defendants in the monthly stipend case on October 4th, 2012.

13) "Corruptores e corruptos devem ser punidos na forma da lei."
(Celso de Mello)

Corrupted and corrupters must be sentenced according to the applicable law.

REFERENCE: Celso de Mello agrees with Joaquim Barbosa's vote about the punishment for corrupted and corrupters on October 1st, 2012

14) "Sou um sobrevivente. Não me recuso aos desafios."
(Luiz Edson Fachin)

I am a survivor. I do not refuse challenges.

REFERENCE: Fachin's reminiscencies while he was being assessed on May 12th, 2015.

15) "Gostaria de deixar registrado na ata do plenário nosso repúdio a toda e qualquer tipo de agressão aos profissionais da imprensa, devendo a conduta dos agressores ser devidamente apurada pelas autoridades competentes. Sem imprensa livre não há liberdade de expressão e de informação. Sem imprensa livre não há democracia.”
(Dias Toffoli)

I would like to go on record in the minutes of the plenary our repudiation of any type of agression against the press and media professionals, and the agressors' conduct must be duly investigated by the competent authorities. There is no freedom of expression and information without a free press. There is no democracy without a free press.

REFERENCE: Toffoli's statement against the violence suffered by reporters and journalists on May 06th, 2020.