In a move that signals a growing appetite for internal scrutiny within Brazil’s highest legal circles, Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino has called for a comprehensive reform of the nation’s judiciary. Writing for *ICL Notícias*, Dino argued that the current framework—largely unchanged since the last major reform in 2004—requires a modernization that addresses both public accountability and the technical consistency of the law.
At the heart of Dino’s proposal is a push for more stringent penalties for judicial corruption. He specifically targeted the practice of "compulsory retirement" as a disciplinary measure, a system that has long drawn public ire for allowing disgraced judges to exit the bench with their pensions intact. Dino also advocated for the elimination of "penduricalhos"—the various extra-salary perks and allowances that have historically inflated judicial compensation beyond standard limits.
The timing of Dino’s intervention is significant. The Supreme Court (STF) is currently navigating internal debates over a proposed Code of Conduct championed by Chief Justice Edson Fachin, a move that has met with varying degrees of resistance among the bench. Dino emphasizes that any reform must be "dialogical," involving the members of the justice system rather than being imposed from the outside—a cautionary reference to the unilateral decrees of Brazil's military dictatorship era.
While the path to constitutional change in Brazil is notoriously complex, Dino’s public stance adds weight to the argument that the judiciary must evolve to maintain its legitimacy. By framing these changes as a matter of public interest rather than mere administrative adjustment, he is positioning the court to address the systemic frictions that have defined its relationship with the public and the other branches of government.
With reporting from [InfoMoney].
Source · InfoMoney
