By Ricardo Brito
BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday elected Edson Fachin for a two-year term as chief justice starting in late September, while Alexandre de Moraes, who has been recently targeted by U.S. sanctions, was tapped as his deputy.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Fachin’s tenure will coincide with Brazil’s presidential election next year and key judicial decisions, which may include cases against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently on trial for allegedly plotting to overturn the 2022 election.
CONTEXT
Fachin, 67, was appointed by former President Dilma Rousseff in 2015 and gained prominence overseeing the “Car Wash” corruption probe, which led to the imprisonment of major political figures.
Moraes, meanwhile, is overseeing the trial of Bolsonaro and presided over Brazil’s top electoral court when it barred the right-wing former president from public office until 2030 for his conduct during the 2022 election.
Earlier this month, the United States imposed sanctions on Moraes, accusing the judge of authorizing arbitrary pre-trial detentions and suppressing freedom of expression. Moraes responded saying the court would not submit itself to foreign coercion and that it would guard the country’s constitution.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Fachin earned the votes of his 10 peers and will replace Chief Justice Luis Roberto Barroso. The election follows seniority criteria: The most senior justice on the court who has not yet been chief is tapped as chief justice every two years.
KEY QUOTES
“I consider it fortunate for the country to have, in the current scenario, someone with Your Excellency’s moral and intellectual quality leading the court,” Barroso told Fachin, according to a Supreme Court statement.
Fachin thanked his colleagues and said he will keep “striving to strengthen pluralism and dialogue,” the court added.
WHAT’S NEXT
Fachin and Moraes will assume their roles on September 29. Moraes has previously said that the court should conclude the trial of Bolsonaro and others also accused of attempting a coup after the 2022 election before the end of the year.
(Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
