Anti-corruption institute chief sees ‘unprecedented credibility crisis’ at Brazil’s Supreme Court

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court is facing an “unprecedented moral and credibility crisis,” according to Roberto Livianu, president of the Não Aceito Corrupção Institute and a São Paulo state prosecutor.

Livianu made the assessment as a public dispute intensified inside the court. Justice Alexandre de Moraes accused fellow Justice André Mendonça of administrative misconduct, abuse of authority and a crime of responsibility. Supreme Court President Edson Fachin removed the matter from the fake-news inquiry and gave those involved five days to respond.

The dispute followed the publication of messages between former banker Daniel Vorcaro and Moraes. The conversations took place until shortly before Vorcaro’s arrest, and Vorcaro asked Moraes to approach other authorities in an effort to halt the Federal Police’s Compliance Zero operation. Mendonça later ordered the lifting of secrecy on the case examining the messages, making public the closeness between Vorcaro and Moraes in the Banco Master scandal.

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We are living through an unprecedented moral and credibility crisis at the Supreme Court.

Livianu said investigations involving the film “Dark Horse” and improper deductions from National Social Security Institute retirees should also have their secrecy lifted. “There should not be a feeling that secrecy was lifted selectively,” he said. He also expressed caution about elections scheduled for the following month, saying the court’s actions could affect the result.

The prosecutor argued that constitutional publicity rights support changes that would make the judiciary more transparent. He called for the Supreme Court’s full bench to address the issue and said an ethics code for the superior courts could ease tensions and respond to Brazilians who, in his view, see the court as isolated and closed.

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There should not be a feeling that secrecy was lifted selectively.