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🇧🇷 Brazil /Elections & Politics

STF critic calls for Alexandre de Moraes to step down

From Folha de S.Paulo · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Context piece
  • Retired USP law professor Modesto Carvalhosa accuses Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes of alleged crimes involving public administration and his relationship with former banker Daniel Vorcaro.
  • Carvalhosa argues that reports of a dispute among justices are distracting from the alleged criminal conduct, while saying André Mendonça is acting in his role as case rapporteur.
  • A longtime critic of the Supreme Court, Carvalhosa has sought impeachment proceedings against several justices since 2018 and says the court has taken on an increasingly political role.

Modesto Carvalhosa says Brazil's Supreme Federal Court is not facing an internal crisis, as the current debate suggests. In his view, the real issue is the alleged criminal conduct of Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

There is no crisis in the court. What exists is strong evidence and substantial materiality concerning crimes committed by Alexandre de Moraes.

· Modesto CarvalhosaThe retired lawyer and USP professor rejects the portrayal of the dispute as an institutional crisis and focuses on his allegations against Moraes.

The retired University of São Paulo law professor and lawyer accuses Moraes of crimes against public administration, including administrative advocacy and passive corruption, allegedly linked to his relationship with former banker Daniel Vorcaro. “There is no crisis in the court. What exists is strong evidence and substantial materiality concerning crimes committed by Alexandre de Moraes,” Carvalhosa said.

He also rejected the idea that Justice André Mendonça’s role reflects a clash among judges. “André Mendonça is doing his job, which is to serve as rapporteur of the case,” he said. Carvalhosa argued that the public and the press were being drawn into a narrative of confrontation among ministers, diverting attention from the alleged criminal question.

André Mendonça is doing his job, which is to serve as rapporteur of the case.

· Modesto CarvalhosaCarvalhosa says Mendonça’s role should not be presented as evidence of a clash among Supreme Court justices.

Carvalhosa has filed impeachment requests against Supreme Court justices since 2018. His targets have included Gilmar Mendes, Dias Toffoli, Ricardo Lewandowski and Moraes himself. He says the court has undergone a notable institutional change since 2018, taking on a political role and placing itself above the rules instead of acting as guardian of the Constitution. In his assessment, that has created legal uncertainty incompatible with a democratic state governed by law.

Since 2018, the Supreme Court’s institutional change has been notable. It has taken on a political role.

· Modesto CarvalhosaHe criticizes what he describes as the court’s growing political role.
About this summary

Originally published by Folha de S.Paulo in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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