Flávio's Senate Bloc Already Has Votes and Plans to Weaken Supreme Court by Removing Criminal Cases from Its Jurisdiction - Folha de S.Paulo

The bloc in Brazil’s Senate that supports presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro will propose curbing the powers of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) through a proposed constitutional amendment. The main measure will be to remove criminal cases involving public officials from the court’s jurisdiction, transferring them to other courts, such as the Superior Court of Justice and the Federal Regional Courts.

As a result, the STF would become an exclusively constitutional court, and its justices would lose their main sources of power. The impact would be deeper than the impeachment of a justice.

Counting the senators who will remain in office and the 35 elected on Sunday (4), the bloc will have at least 49 votes in favor of impeachment. That is not enough to remove justices, which requires 54 votes, but it is enough to approve a constitutional amendment. The package of judicial reforms is expected to be sent to the Senate as soon as the new lawmakers take office.