STJ receives 59 names of candidates for minister positions

The Superior Court of Justice (STJ) informed this Thursday (1st/6) that it received nominations from 59 judges from across the country interested in running for the two vacancies of Minister that have been open since the retirement of Minister Jorge Mussi and the death of Minister Paul of Tarso Sanseverino.

The deadline for submitting names ended this Wednesday (31) and, on August 23, the Plenary of the STJ will hold a session to choose the judges who will compose a list of four names to be forwarded to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).

According to the STJ, it is up to the president to indicate the names that, in the next stage, will be forwarded to the Senate for a hearing at the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee (CCJ). After approval by the CCJ and the Senate plenary, nominees are nominated and sworn in as ministers.

The composition of the STJ has at least 33 ministers, who are appointed by the President of the Republic. The plenary is made up of one third of judges from the Federal Regional Courts and one third of judges from the Courts of Justice, appointed in a triple list drawn up by the STJ itself; one third, in equal parts, between lawyers and members of the Federal, State, Federal District and Territories Public Ministry, alternately, indicated in the form of article 94 of the Constitution.

The STJ also informed that there is a third vacancy of Minister to be filled, opened due to the retirement of Minister Felix Fischer. This vacancy, however, is reserved, under the alternation system, for a member of the legal profession. The Court awaits the submission of a sixfold list drawn up by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), which will later be transformed into a triple list and also forwarded to the President.