With the aim of pushing for the development of a code of Conduct for the STF (Supreme Federal Court), representatives of civil, legal and business entities met, this Monday (2), in an event at the USP Law School (University of São Paulo).
At the ceremony, a letter was read that was called “No one above the law”. The document calls for rules related to transparency for Supreme Court and highlights the danger it represents for democracy, the loss of social trust in Justice.
The text criticizes some behaviors classified as “inadequate” and cites as examples the case involving the Banco Masterconflicts of interest and super salaries as responsible for compromising the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.
“The process of institutional degradation resulting from errors and misdeeds must be contained with the rigor provided for by law. This is not about anti-politics or rhetoric. The demand for more transparency has become a social consensus and civic demand. It is about recognizing a widespread perception: proven interests have, at times, taken precedence over the public interest, eroding the legitimacy of the Republic“, says an excerpt from the document.
“If the crisis is more visible in the Judiciary, it is not limited to it. The Banco Master case brought to light relevant questions involving the Central Bank. The independence of the Central Bank is a strategic target for the country and must be accompanied by maximum standards of transparency and accountability. The credibility of the currency and regulatory institutions is a pillar of democracy and the economy”, they added.
The company Maridt Participaçõeswhich has Toffoli as a partner, brother-in-law of Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master, liquidated by the Central Bank. Toffoli left the rapporteurship of the Master case at the STF and had measures reviewed by Minister André Mendonça, the new rapporteur of the case.
Last Friday (27), the minister Gilmar Mendes decided to annul the decision of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on Organized Crime that broke Maridt’s banking, tax and telematic secrecy.
According to the entities, the current news reveals, on the part of ministers, a series of behaviors that are incompatible with republican principles, which needs to change, especially in the face of an election year.
“The loss of trust in Justice is particularly serious. Governments are renewed and parliaments are reconstructed. Justice is society’s last institutional support. Defending clear standards of conduct, transparency and accountability at the highest levels does not weaken the Judiciary. It is a condition for strengthening it.”
According to the letter, rebuilding this trust will not be a “simple nor immediate task”.
“Continuous, systematic and responsible actions will be necessary, capable of examining, proposing and monitoring concrete changes.”
The document has already been signed by at least 60 entities and is currently open to receive more signatures so that it can later be delivered to the president of the STF, Edson Fachin.
