The President of the Supreme Federal Court is the highest-ranking officer of the Brazilian judiciary branch. The holder is also president of the National Council of Justice (CNJ). Among their responsibilities are representing both the Court and the council before other branches of government and authorities, presiding over plenary sessions of both institutions, enforcing the bylaws of the Court and Council, deciding points of order in their respective sessions, making decisions on injunctions during recess or vacation, and swearing in justices of the Supreme Court and councillors of the CNJ. The President and Vice President of the Supreme Court are elected by the other justices in a secret ballot, with a minimum quorum of eight justices, in a

two-round system The two-round system (TRS or 2RS), sometimes called ballotage, top-two runoff, or two-round plurality, is a single-winner electoral system which aims to elect a member who has support of the majority of voters. The two-round system involves one ...

for a two-year term, with re-election for a new term prohibited. Usually, the justices vote for the most senior justice who has not yet served as president, and they vote for the second most senior justice in the same situation as vice president. The tradition, present during most of the country's republican history, is for the Vice President to be elected by their peers to assume the presidency after the end of their term. The self-governance and self-determination of the Supreme Federal Court regarding the choice of its president did not exist in two historical periods. During the

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...

, the Emperor of Brazil appointed the President of the Supreme Court of Justice for a renewable three-year term. Under the Constitution of 1937, the

President of Brazil The president of Brazil (), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil () or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head of government of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the ...

appointed the President of the Court from among the justices of the current composition for an indefinite term. The President of the Supreme Federal Court is fourth in the Brazilian presidential line of succession and can hold the office of President of the Federal Senate in exceptional situations. The longest presidency was held by Hermínio do Espírito Santo for 13 years and 312 days, while the shortest was held by Leoni Ramos for 23 days. The current President is Justice

Luís Roberto Barroso Luís Roberto Barroso (; born 11 March 1958) is a Brazilian law professor, jurist, Justice and President of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil, having been nominated to the position by President Dilma Rousseff in 2013. Between 2020 and 2022, B ...

, who has held the position since 28 September 2023.

Presidents of the Supreme Court of Justice (1829–1891)

Presidents of the Supreme Federal Court (1891–present)

Timeline

References

{{Current composition of the Supreme Federal Court Supreme Federal Court of Brazil justices Lists of government ministers of Brazil