Cristiano Zanin new top court justice after 58–18 vote
The Brazilian Senate approved the nomination of lawyer Cristiano Zanin for the Supreme Court by 58 votes to 18 during a plenary session Wednesday (Jun. 21).
President Lula’s choice to take Justice Ricardo Lewandowski’s place, future Justice Zanin was approved by Congress after a nearly eight-hour–long confirmation hearing.
After the hearing started, Zanin introduced himself to Congress members for 26 minutes. He said he feels confident and has the necessary experience to work in the Supreme Court and deliberate on important matters with a profound impact on society.
“I have always followed precepts in line with those of a judge in my work with the Law and kept myself emotionally and intellectually balanced, even in times of great challenges, with a sense of justice without ever discrediting the laws and the Brazilian institutions, acting with autonomy to ensure justice in a country with solid democratic pillars, like Brazil,” he stated.
In a brief summary of his career, he listed the law firms he has worked for and concluded saying he considers himself “a fervent advocate of the Brazilian Constitution and a keen critic of violations of fundamental rights and guarantees.”
He also noted he has led more than one hundred cases heard in the Supreme Court and over 550 in the Superior Court of Justice over the course of 25 years as a lawyer.
