Gilmar Mendes says that STF ministers are not hated by the majority of the population

The Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Gilmar Mendes stated this Friday (1st) that the Court’s magistrates are not hated by the majority of the Brazilian population. The dean made reference to a speech by retired lawyer and judge Sebastião Coelho da Silva, who defended the first defendant tried in the STF for the acts of January 8th. During the trial, Silva said that Supreme Court ministers are “the most hated people in this country”.

“Recently, in the Supreme Court’s gallery, a lawyer said that we were little loved or even hated. We are certainly not for the majority of the population. But, of course, the role of counter-majority is very difficult, it often leads to attitudes of misunderstanding and antipathy”, said Gilmar Mendes at the 3rd International Congress of Audit Courts held in Fortaleza (CE).

In September, Sebastião Coelho da Silva harshly criticized the performance of the Court’s ministers. “On these benches here, on these two sides, ministers, are the most hated people in this country. Unfortunately, how many photos do I have with ministers of this Court. Many, many. I didn’t come to the wake of Sepúlveda Pertence, a person I loved very much, not to say that I was affronted to this Court. But your Excellencies must be aware that they are hated people in this country. This is a reality that someone has to say this directly”, declared the retired judge at the time.

The STF convicted sanitation technician Aécio Lúcio Costa Pereira, defended by Silva, for the invasion and depredation of the Senate on January 8th. By majority, the Court set the penalty at 17 years in prison, a fine of R$44,000 and payment for collective moral damages of R$30 million, to be shared with other defendants who are convicted.