Miguel Reale Júnior, jurist and former Minister of Justice, made a blunt analysis of the current situation of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) during an interview with WW. According to him, trust in the institution is clearly deteriorating, as exemplified by the statement by Minister Cármen Lúcia, who commented that she hears criticism of the STF in all the taxis she uses.
For Reale Júnior, several factors contribute to this crisis of trust, including the proximity of ministers to figures like him and their institutions. He specifically mentioned it as an emblematic example of the problems faced by the court, citing rapporteur Dias Toffoli’s departure from the case as a “strange” situation with no clear justification.
“The Supreme Court has to rethink itself, the Supreme Court cannot set an example of corporatism, it has to set an example of collegiality”, stated Reale Júnior. The jurist especially criticized monocratic decisions, which according to him are not the subject of discussion or exchange of ideas between ministers. “These are decisions that are taken individually by each minister. So, we have, in fact, eleven Supreme Federal Courts”, he highlighted.
Reale Júnior highlighted that his criticism is not against the STF, but in favor of the institution and the country. He argued that ministers should prioritize the protection of the Supreme Court over the protection of colleagues. “We are concerned about the institution. It is not against the Supreme Court, it is in favor of the Supreme Court, in favor of the country”, explained the jurist, adding that the court needs to recover its exemplary role, as it has extremely competent ministers.
In the interviewee’s view, it is essential that the STF regains its credibility through a more collegial and less corporatist stance. Reale Júnior emphasized that the current dynamics of the court’s functioning, with individual decisions prevailing over the collective debate, contributes significantly to the relationship with the institution.
