Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito (September 8, 1942 – September 1, 2009) was a Brazilian judge who sat on the

Supreme Federal Court The Supreme Federal Court ( pt, Supremo Tribunal Federal, , abbreviated STF) is the supreme court (court of last resort) of Brazil, serving primarily as the Constitutional Court of the country. It is the highest court of law in Brazil for consti ...

, the highest

court of law A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordanc ...

in Brazil, from his appointment in 2007 until his death in 2009. Direito received his

law degree A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers. But while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not confer a license themselves. A legal license is gra ...

from the

Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro The Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro ( pt, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, PUC-Rio) is a Jesuit, Catholic, pontifical university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the joint responsibility of the Catholic Ar ...

in 1965. He served as a judge on the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) until 2007. Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito was nominated to the Supreme Federal Court, the highest court in Brazil, by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician, trade unionist, and former metalworker who is the president-elect of Brazil. A member of the Workers' Party, ...

in 2007. Direito replaced former Supreme Federal Court Justice Sepúlveda Pertence. Direito was hospitalized in 2009 and underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his

pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an end ...

at Hospital Samaritano in Rio de Janeiro. The surgery was reported to be successful. However, he was re-admitted to the Hospital Samaritano's

intensive-care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...

on Saturday, August 29, 2009, and placed on a

ventilator A ventilator is a piece of medical technology that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently. Ventilators ...

. Judge Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito died of pancreatic cancer at the Hospital Samaritana in Rio de Janeiro on September 1, 2009, at the age of 66.Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito, 1942 - 2009
/ref> His death created a vacancy on the Supreme Federal Court. The Brazilian flags around the country stayed at half mast for three days following his death.

References

1942 births 2009 deaths Supreme Federal Court of Brazil justices 20th-century Brazilian judges People from Belém Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro alumni 21st-century Brazilian judges {{Brazil-law-bio-stub