Minister of the STF said that it is unacceptable to subordinate agreements between those affected by the collapse of the Fundão dam to English jurisdiction
The minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) decided this Wednesday (April 15, 2026) that decisions from the Court of England are not effective in Brazil without approval by the Brazilian Court. With this, it restricted the effects of BHP’s conviction determined by an English court for the collapse of , in Mariana (MG), in 2015. Read the decision (PDF – 245 kB).
“Decisions from foreign courts that do not comply with constitutional internalization mechanisms, such as approval by the Superior Court of Justice and other instruments of international judicial cooperation, are ineffective in Brazilian territory”stated the minister.
Dino spoke out in an action by Ibram (Brazilian Mining Institute), which questions whether Brazilian municipalities can sue the English courts, where BHP, one of Samarco’s controllers, is headquartered.
In November 2025, an English court ruled that the autonomy of municipalities allows the search for compensation outside the country and that any agreement must be authorized by the Court of England.
The court also recognized, on November 14, 2025, the environmental and social damage to municipalities in Minas Gerais. In the decision, he concluded that cities have the legitimacy to seek redress without the need for authorization from the Brazilian Court.
When analyzing the case, Dino stated that the decision violates principles of international law and national sovereignty. According to him, foreign decisions are only valid in Brazil after approval by the STJ.
The minister also said that Brazilian municipalities can sign agreements with BHP without authorization or supervision from the English Court. He classified as “inadmissible” the projection of foreign judicial authority outside of formal international cooperation mechanisms.
Dino further declared that he was “intolerable” subordinate Brazilian jurisdiction to English justice.
