16 April 2026
When Courts Turn Into Justices
The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court is currently facing the most severe crisis of judicial governance in its democratic history: the consolidation of individualized judicial power at the expense of collegiality. The recent Banco Master scandal exposes how conflicts of interest, opaque decision-making, and the concentration of authority in individual justices can erode the institutional foundations of a constitutional court. India experienced a very similar crisis back in 2018. The Indian episode offers a comparative mirror of remarkable clarity for understanding what is now unfolding in Brazil. Continue reading >>
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12 February 2026
Fixed Terms Are Not the Solution
The proposal to establish fixed terms for justices of the Brazilian Supreme Court has recently returned to public debate following statements by President Lula presenting tenure reform as an institutional response to the Court’s current difficulties. The idea resurfaces cyclically whenever the Court makes mistakes. Yet the length of justices’ tenure is neither the central empirical nor the normative factor explaining today’s deficits. The possible paths forward depend far more on internal institutional corrections than on constitutional reforms imposed from outside. Continue reading >>
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