Supreme Court justice says society is changing Brazil's history

Supreme Court Justice Dias Toffoli said the Operation Car Wash corruption investigation and its presiding judge, Sérgio Moro, are doing a good job of fighting corruption in Brazil, but the “change” the country is experiencing reflects a process that is supported by the entire society.

“It's not the one judge that's changing history in Brazil, but civil society,” Toffoli said speaking at the Wilson Center's Brazil Institute, an organization that fosters democratic dialogue between Brazil and the United States. He extolled the “tremendously important role played by the rule of law and the court system” in Brazil and talked about the Supreme Court's efforts to give trials more transparency by allowing public viewing of the hearings, which are also broadcast on radio, television, and online.

According to Toffoli, these efforts have put the Supreme Court in the spotlight. “Nowadays, even if Brazilians can't name all 11 players in Brazil's national soccer team, they certainly know the names of each of the 11 justices in the Supreme Court,” he said.

In Toffoli's opinion, the battle against corruption in Brazil has been made possible thanks to legislation authorizing plea bargaining deals. The foundations for anti-corruption enforcement, according to Toffoli, began to be laid during the administration of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, with the passing of a Fiscal Accountability Act, the improvement of public sector transparency, and the independence given to the public prosecution system to nominate the Prosecutor-General.

Toffoli's address at the Wilson Center was part of a series of lectures about Brazil. On July 14, Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero said, Judge Sérgio Moro will discuss how Brazil's court system has been tackling corruption.

Translated by Mayra Borges