Current:Home > StocksBrazil’s Lula picks his justice minister for supreme court slot -Capitatum
Brazil’s Lula picks his justice minister for supreme court slot
View
Date:2025-04-13 09:30:14
SAO PAULO (AP) — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil said Monday that he chose Justice Minister Flávio Dino to fill an empty seat on the country’s top court.
Many allies of the leftist leader hoped he would pick another woman to replace Minister Rosa Maria Weber, who stepped down in September after turning 75, the age limit for the nation’s Supreme Federal Court justices. Weber’s departure as chief justice left one remaining female jurist on the 11-person court.
The Brazilian Senate is expected to vote before the end of the year on Dino’s nomination, which requires a simple majority for confirmation.
Dino, 55, governed the impoverished state of Maranhão between 2015 and 2023 before becoming Lula’s justice minister. He is a former federal judge and was seen for many years as one of the most vocal adversaries of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dino imposed curfews and movement restrictions that angered the far-right leader.
As justice minister, he has also been one of the most visible members of Lula’s Cabinet. Dino worked to increase security at schools and crack down on the incitement of violence as officials sought to curb a wave of fatal school attacks.
He also led efforts to jail Bolsonaro supporters who trashed government buildings in Brasilia on Jan. 8.
Legal analysts saw Lula’s nomination of Dino as further evidence of the Supreme Court’s political polarization. Bolsonaro and and former President Michel Temer also picked their justice ministers to sit on the court.
Dino said in his social medial channels that he was “immensely honored” by the president’s decision.
“From now on, I will dialogue to seek the honorable support of fellow senators. I am grateful for the prayers and the demonstrations of care and solidarity,” he said.
Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a son of the former president, said on his social media channels that “the Senate has the moral obligation of rejecting the name of the persecutor of politicians, Dino, to the Supreme Court.”
Bolsonaro-allied senators, which include about a third of Brazil’s Senate, are expected to work against Dino’s confirmation.
Dino will be the second Supreme Court justice appointed by Lula in his third term in the presidency. Cristiano Zanin, once the leftist leader’s lawyer, was approved to join the court in July by 58-18 votes in the Senate.
Lula said he also has appointed a new prosecutor-general, Paulo Gustavo Gonet. The 62-year-old is currently a deputy electoral prosecutor-general.
Lula, who in previous terms picked the top candidate from a “triple list” made by federal prosecutors to be his prosecutor-general, disregarded their recommendation this time.
Gonet is regarded among his peers as a conservative. He has written articles against abortion and urged the government to act against it. His appointment also requires Senate confirmation.
____
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Israel-Hamas war upends years of conventional wisdom. Leaders give few details on what comes next
- What are Maine's gun laws?
- Jay-Z Reveals Why Blue Ivy Now Asks Him for Fashion Advice
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- What is Gaza’s Ministry of Health and how does it calculate the war’s death toll?
- GDP surged 4.9% in the third quarter, defying the Fed's rate hikes
- Georgia deputy injured in Douglas County shooting released from hospital
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- US military says Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of B-52 bomber over South China Sea
Ranking
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Man indicted on murder charge 23 years after girl, mother disappeared in West Virginia
- Best Buy recalls almost 1 million pressure cookers after spewed contents burn 17 people
- NHL suspends Ottawa Senators' Shane Pinto half a season for violating sports wagering rules
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- NFL should have an open mind on expanding instant replay – but it won't
- TikTok returns to the campaign trail but not everyone thinks it's a good idea
- Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost Put Their Chemistry on Display in Bloopers Clip
Recommendation
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Rays push for swift approval of financing deal for new Tampa Bay ballpark, part of $6B development
Lionel Messi is a finalist for the MLS Newcomer of the Year award
White House says Russia is executing its own soldiers for not following orders
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Houston-area deputy indicted on murder charge after man fatally shot following shoplifting incident
Kentucky Supreme Court strikes down new law giving participants right to change venue
US military says Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of B-52 bomber over South China Sea