The time interval between Jorge Messias’ appointment to the STF (Supreme Federal Court) and his hearing runs the risk of being the second longest among the waiting times faced by the ministers who currently make up the Court.
The break alone does not overcome (at least for now) the wait faced by André Mendonça, who also fought with senator Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP) to have his name approved by the Senate.
According to a survey by CNNthe average time between appointment and hearing of current Court ministers is 31 days. The number, however, is inflated by the mark outside the Mendonça curve. Without it, the average drops to 19 days.
Mendonça waited more than four months to be questioned. Alcolumbre, then president of the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission), created space for the vacancy to be filled by the president elected in the following term. Over time, however, the senator lost internal support and gave in.
Messias, who was initially supposed to go through the rite in just 20 days, had the hearing canceled and postponed to 2026, with no new date set. With the parliamentary recess, which ends in February, he must remain waiting for at least 70 days.
From the beginning to fill the vacancy opened with the retirement of Luís Roberto Barroso, Messias faced resistance in the Senate, which preferred the former president of the House Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG). According to reports, he highlighted that the prerogative of choosing the STF minister belongs exclusively to the president and kept the name Messiah.
On the 30th, the tension between the government and the Senate worsened. Alcolumbre stated that any insinuation that positions or amendments would influence the approval of Messias was “offensive”, in addition to accusing the government of trying to interfere in the process. Next, .
Although Lula announced the appointment on the 20th, the Planalto Palace has not yet sent the “message” formalizing the act to the Senate. The document is essential for the hearing to take place. The attitude is seen by parliamentarians as a way to buy time.
According to the survey of CNNnone of the ministers who currently make up the STF had their nomination message sent to the Senate on a different date than the public announcement. In all cases, shipping was immediate.
For most ministers, the hearing took place within 20 days of being appointed. Only Gilmar Mendes and Edson Fachin waited longer than that: Gilmar waited 27 days; Fachin, appointed amid the Dilma Rousseff (PT) government crisis, waited 35 days. The fastest was Luiz Fux, with just 8 days.
See below the waiting time between appointment and hearing for current ministers:
- Luiz Fux – 8 days
- Toffoli Days – 13 days
- Carmen Lúcia – 14 days
- Flávio Dino – 16 days
- Alexandre de Moraes – 16 days
- Cristiano Zanin – 20 days
- Kássio Nunes Marques – 20 days
- Gilmar Mendes – 27 days
- Edson Fachin – 35 days
- André Mendonça – 142 days
