Former Attorney General of the Union assumes the position of minister in the STF

Former Federal Attorney General André Mendonça took office today (16) as minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF). Appointed by President Jair Bolsonaro and approved by the Senate , Mendonça will occupy the seat left by Minister Marco Aurélio, sworn in in 1990 and compulsorily retired in July this year when he turned 75 years old. With the inauguration, the Court regains its complete composition, with 11 ministers.

It is Bolsonaro's second Supreme Court nomination. Last year, the president appointed minister Nunes Marques to the chair of Celso de Mello, who also retired.

The ceremony lasted about 15 minutes. The ceremony was attended by President Jair Bolsonaro, First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, Vice President Hamilton Mourão, Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira, and of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, among other authorities.

As is customary in all inauguration ceremonies, the session was opened by the president of the STF, Minister Luiz Fux, and the National Anthem was performed. Then, ministers Ricardo Lewandowski and Nunes Marques, the oldest and youngest present at the session, respectively, led Mendonça to the plenary.

There, the new minister took the oath of office. "I promise well and faithfully to fulfill the duties of the position of Minister of the Federal Supreme Court, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the Republic."

Mendonça signed the term of office and was declared sworn in. The minister did not speak.

The inauguration was carried out in person, but with a limited number of people in the Court due to the distance rules resulting from the covid-19 pandemic. About 60 people, including family members and guests, attended the plenary. All had to present the vaccination certificate or proof of negative PCR test.

The minister's work in the Court sessions will effectively begin in February, when the Supreme Court will return from the year-end recess, which will begin this weekend. In addition to the plenary, he will act in the Second Panel.

André Mendonça, 46, was born in Santos. He was a lawyer for the Union, admitted through a public examination. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Bauru (SP) and holds a doctorate in Law and Global Governance and a master's degree in Anti-Corruption Strategies and Integrity Policies from the University of Salamanca, in Spain.

Text translated using artificial intelligence.