Lula proposes new criteria for Supreme Court justice appointments

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Sunday (27) that he intends to change the criteria for appointing justices to Brazil’s Supreme Court. In a recorded interview with Band’s Canal Livre program, Lula announced plans to create a council to assess nominations and broaden civil society’s participation in the appointment process.

Lula emphasized that the president should not be the sole appointing authority and that the final decision on appointments currently rests with the head of the Executive branch. He argued for involving civil society in candidate assessment before nominations, and that a nominee’s track record should be a key consideration.

He noted that the Supreme Court cannot remain the way it is and that the current criteria for selecting justices are vulnerable. Lula said that appointing a justice tied only to the president could lead to a serious mistake, and that a broader, more inclusive process would prevent such an outcome.

Read the full story at Valor International.