Minister of Justice, who was already a member of the Court, stated that “these decisions have to be quick, but well considered”
The Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, stated this Friday (October 10, 2025) that the president (PT) must define the replacement for minister Luís Roberto Barroso in the STF (Supreme Federal Court) after returning from a trip abroad.
“These decisions have to be quick, but well considered. The president has his time. He has a trip scheduled abroad, and I believe that, upon his return, this must be decided“, said Lewandowski in a conversation with journalists held in Belém (PA). He participated in the Esfera Internacional Forum – Belém do Pará.
Barroso will leave the STF soon. On Thursday (Oct 9), he will retire early. He is 67 years old and could stay until he turns 75 — the age limit to remain at the Court. According to Lewandowski, who was part of the Court from 2006 to 2023, the minister’s early departure was already expected.
“Minister Barroso did an excellent job at the Supreme Court. He was a great colleague, a leading intellectual, and he will be missed. We all learned a lot from him”, he stated.
Lewandowski said he had not been consulted by Lula about his successor and said he had no preferences.
“I, as a citizen, want there to be someone who meets the constitutional requirements — notable legal knowledge and an unblemished reputation. This is the president’s personal decision, and he does not need to consult anyone”, he declared.
Organized crime
In his participation at the event, Lewandowski addressed the topic of public security and stated that organized crime is a global threat comparable to climate warming.
“Today, organized crime is a phenomenon as worrying as global warming, regional wars and economic crises.“, These.
According to the minister, combating crime needs to occur at three levels:
- international cooperation – partnerships with organizations such as Interpol, Europol and Mercosur;
- national integration – sharing of information between the Union, States and municipalities;
- joint operations – such as the recent actions of the Federal Police against criminal factions, drug trafficking and sexual abuse of minors.
Lewandowski also highlighted the importance of the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center, created to coordinate security forces from 9 countries and nine Brazilian states.
“The Ministry today works with a holistic, broad, structuring vision. We don’t fight crime punctually. We have a doctrine to face this problem”, he stated.
