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🇧🇷 Brazil /Crime & Justice

Audit Court Perks Still Evade Supreme Court's Net in Brazil

From Folha de S.Paulo · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Brazil's Supreme Court ordered seven judicial courts to suspend irregular payments and return excess funds, reflecting increased public access to judicial payrolls.
  • However, oversight bodies for public funds lack equivalent scrutiny, operating without external control and self-applying remuneration rules.
  • Reports reveal significant earnings by audit court counselors, often appointed politically, highlighting a lack of transparency and technical merit in their selection and operation.

Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered seven judicial courts to halt irregular payments and return funds exceeding established parameters. This decision underscores the power of public information, as judicial payrolls are now more accessible for citizen scrutiny.

the Supreme Federal Court (STF) determined that seven Courts of Justice suspend irregular payments and return values above the parameters defined in the judgment of the penduricalhos.

— Folha de S.PauloReporting on the Supreme Court's decision regarding irregular payments.

However, a similar level of transparency and accountability has not yet been extended to the bodies responsible for overseeing public finances. These institutions operate in a unique vacuum, according to a report by Instituto OPS in partnership with Contas Abertas and Instituto FHC. They are the only entities in the Republic without external oversight, self-apply resolutions regarding their own compensation, and function within a "single jurisdiction," meaning they judge appeals against their own decisions.

Recent reports have exposed substantial earnings by audit court counselors. For instance, seven counselors at the TCE-RJ allegedly accumulated R$11.8 million between May 2025 and April 2026. The average gross remuneration for counselors in the first quarter of 2025 was calculated at R$69,700. Notably, five out of seven counselors in each court are political appointees lacking technical backgrounds within the oversight system. This combination allows individuals to gain positions with judicial guarantees through nomination and then claim benefits similar to those granted to the judiciary.

these institutions exist in a vacuum without precedent.

— Instituto OPSDescribing the unique operational status of public oversight bodies.

Past investigations have shown a high proportion of career politicians among these counselors, with many having relatives in politics. While data availability has improved since 2016, it remains insufficient. Many courts still use PDFs, requiring manual conversion and hindering effective oversight. Furthermore, specific payment components are often missing. For example, the Court of Accounts of Santa Catarina has provisions for "hourly teaching" and "teaching material preparation" payments to counselors, but the full details have not been published despite requests under the Access to Information Law.

seven counselors of the TCE-RJ accumulated R$ 11.8 million between May 2025 and April 2026.

— RJ2Revealing the significant earnings of audit court counselors.

These columns emphasize that the criticism is not aimed at the institutions themselves but at ensuring their legitimacy. Audit courts are vital and serve as key allies for civil society, particularly under the Access to Information Law. The call for greater transparency and accountability aims to uphold their essential role.

the average gross remuneration among counselors in the first quarter of 2025 was R$ 69.7 thousand.

— O GloboCalculating the average earnings of audit court counselors.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Folha de S.Paulo in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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