Top court justices should be appointed differently, Temer says

Amid the controversy surrounding certain topics and the lack of consensus among justices at the Brazilian Supreme Court, President Michel Temer suggested that the selection and appointment of top court members should be brought back to debate. Temer spoke in an exclusive interview to Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) news outlets.

As a member of Brazil’s 1988 Constitutional Assembly, Temer backed a bill stipulating a total of nine justices—three names suggested by each one of the three government branches (legislative, judiciary, and executive)—with 12-year tenures and the possibility of renewal.

“It’s a healthy model, as it covers all state branches. I believe it’d prove useful.” Under Brazilian law, the president alone names all members of the Supreme Court, who occupy the position until they become 75 years old.

Temer welcomed the team of EBC reporters at the library of the Alvorada presidential palace. The interview will be available in its entirety on the websites of Agência Brasil and other EBC outlets.

*The exclusive interview was conducted by reporters from TV Brasil and NBR with press agents from a number of EBC news outlets.