The Minister of (Supreme Federal Court) said on Friday (22) that the Brazilian judiciary needs “self-restart” so as not to pass the “impression of judicial law”.
Mendonça spoke during the Lide Business Forum, in Rio de Janeiro, in an event that also has a forecast of the presence of the STF Minister, as well as the governors of Goiás, (), Minas Gerais, (Novo), and Rio de Janeiro, ().
“Rule of law demands self-restart of the judiciary. I have legitimacy to say this because I integrate the highest court in the country. The rule of law does not mean the prevalence of will or pre-comprehension of the interpreters of the law. I have my values, but I must serve the law and the constitution. The judiciary cannot be the factor of legislative creation and innovation,” he said.
In exhibition marked by messages to the judiciary, not directly mentioning the Supreme Court and Moraes, Mendonça defended administrative reforms in the three powers. “If something is not working, there must be serious reflection on the reform of institutions, which legislative, executive, judiciary, court of accounts and regulatory agencies, in order to have an organization in Brazilian society.”
The minister stated that it is necessary to differentiate the rule of law and what he considers the “judicial rule”. Nominated to the Court for, who will be tried in the case of the coup plot from September 2, the minister adopted a speech with arguments similar to that of critics to the performance of Moraes and the Supreme.
Mendonça stated that “the good judge must be recognized for respect, not for fear”, and by decisions that generate social peace, “and no chaos, uncertainty and insecurity.”
“If it is true that in the strong rule of law the judiciary has the prerogative of giving the last word, the judiciary has no prerogative to give the first and last word. This situation gives the impression of living in a judicial rule of law,” he said. “Democracy means ensuring that citizens can freely express themselves, without direct or indirect censorship, without fear of being persecuted by speech.”
Mendonça’s table was attended by the governor of Rio, Cláudio Castro, and party presidents-aTonio Rueda (União Brasil), Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI) and Valdemar da Costa Neto (PL).
In speech before Mendonça, Valdemar stated that he considers possible alliance between presidential candidates in 2026, even in the first round, and minimized the attack of Councilman Carlos Bolsonaro (PL) to governors this week.
“I’m sure we’re going to be together in the second round, or even the first one, who knows. It happens that sometimes a child despairs, it gets nervous, it’s natural. We have to defend our families. That’s what we’re going through.”
