Minister Rosa Weber today becomes the third woman to assume the presidency of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) of Brazil, a position she will hold until October 2023.
Weber, who will also be responsible for the National Judicial Council, the administrative control body of the country’s courts, will lead the court after Ellen Gracie, who replaced her as a member of the court, and Carmen Lucía.
She will now succeed Minister Luiz Fux, who held office for the last biennium, and in the same appointment, Judge Luís Roberto Barroso was appointed Vice-President.
Once again, in a ceremony, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Labor Party election candidate, and far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, Liberal Party candidate seeking re-election, could coincide because they were invited.
In August, Lula and Bolsonaro met for the first time at the inauguration ceremony of Minister Alexandre de Moraes at the Supreme Electoral Court, who, although they were face to face, did not greet each other and avoided each other at all times.
It is also taken for granted among legal scholars that under the ex-military presidency, Weber will take a formal and discreet position in the face of controversy, political articulation and public statements, particularly at times of tension with the executive branch.
Journalistic media such as CNN Brasil assured that some ministers expect their government to remove the STF from the center of attention and conflicts with other institutions. On the political front, it must publicize the agenda and mark the process of opposition actions seeking to overturn the pardon granted by Bolsonaro to MP Daniel Silveira and to pardon the eight-year and nine-month prison sentence imposed by the Supreme Court for insults and threats against the ministers.
The MP is currently responding to the trial with fines imposed by Judge De Moraes, the rapporteur on his criminal case.
On the other hand, Bolsonaro faces multiple scrutiny in the higher hearing, including his testimony on the Covid-19 vaccine and the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
Such an inquiry was opened late last year by a determination by De Moraes at the request of the Senate House Commission of Inquiry into the disease.
Margaret Caesar Stone