At a time when ministers of the (Federal Supreme Court) receive public attention for their behavior in cases such as and reports of estrangement among magistrates, minister Cármen Lúcia said she is aware of the tension that the court is experiencing and that, although she cannot speak on behalf of the entire Supreme Court because she is not the president, she can ensure that she does nothing outside the law.
“For my part, I say: you can sleep peacefully. There is not one line of mine that is outside the law”, he said this Monday (13), during a lecture at Fundação FHC, in the center of São Paulo.
“I don’t do anything wrong,” he added. “I am aware of the tension we are experiencing.”
Cármen said that Brazil is experiencing a moment of widespread mistrust, which partly justifies the court’s crisis. He declared, however, that the STF needs to “show the people that we are there to serve” and spoke of the need for transparency in the actions of ministers outside Brasília.
The minister believes that it is healthy for magistrates to leave their offices to listen to society, but that the movement needs to be publicized and explained. “You have to know how to leave, where to go and how to make this transparent. Everyone knows, in Brazil today, that I’m here this morning. My diaries are public”, he exemplified.
The judge said that this transparency helps the Judiciary, the STF and, mainly, coexistence between ministers. “In this moment of greatest tension, when the Supreme Court itself is being questioned so much in its dynamics, part of what I hear is a fact: everyone’s lives are more tense, much more difficult.”
Cármen Lúcia said that the court is going through a “questioning” phase. She also stated that, as a minister, she receives “acid criticism” and that in those moments she repeats to herself: “Carmen, remember, you do things right, not miracles.”
The judge also stated that she was the target of “sexist, sexist and demoralizing” speech and that family members have already suggested that she leave her position.
Asked about suggested changes to the STF brought together by experts in a document, the minister signaled that some proposals may not be consistent with the court’s internal challenges, marked by excessive demand.
She criticized the volume of cases that reach the Supreme Court, saying that the court has a routine marked by many duties. He also cited technological changes, such as social networks, to explain that judges do not have ready answers to unprecedented problems, which would increase the challenge facing the court today. “Every morning we have a question never asked before in the history of humanity. For example, about social networks.”
The minister also spoke about the difficulty of being president of the STF. “I know what it’s like to be in the presidency trying to get it right. It’s not simple. It’s not easy at all.”
The judge’s speech took place during a lecture at the FHC Foundation, in an event that is part of a cycle of debates with public leaders on Brazil’s challenges. The conversation was mediated by Celso Lafer, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oscar Vilhena, professor at FGV Direito SP and columnist for Sheetand political scientist Sergio Fausto.
