The president of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Edson Fachin, said this Friday (19) that the Court has a “scheduled meeting” in 2026 with the debate on the implementation of a code of conduct that covers the ministers themselves. He also criticized “personalism” and defended increasing joint decisions. 
In a speech to close the judicial year, the minister stated that “the consolidation of democracy depends on the internalization of impersonal institutional practices and the overcoming of personalisms that weaken republican structures.”
He then stated that “in this sense, I could not fail to make reference to the proposal, still in development, to debate a set of ethical guidelines for the judiciary”.
The minister also listed as one of the topics to be addressed next year the implementation of “guidelines and standards of conduct for the higher courts, the judiciary in all instances and the Federal Supreme Court”.
Fachin stated, however, addressing his peers in the Supreme Court plenary, that “dialogue will be the basis of this debate”. He added that “the country needs peace — and the Judiciary has a duty to sow peace.”
Controversies
The discussion about a code of ethics and conduct for Supreme Court ministers took shape in recent weeks due to the case of Banco Master, an institution that was liquidated by the Central Bank (BC) due to suspected fraud.
As revealed by the newspaper State of S. PauloMinister Dias Toffoli, rapporteur of the case at the Supreme Court, traveled to the final of the Copa Libertadores da América, in Lima, Peru, on the same private jet as the lawyer of one of the bank’s directors.
The game between Flamengo and Palmeiras took place on November 29, one day after Toffoli was chosen as rapporteur for the case at the Supreme Court. Four days after the game, Toffoli declared the highest level of secrecy regarding the Master’s process. He justified the measure by stating that the investigation contains sensitive economic information, with potential impact on the financial market.
Last month, Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Master, was arrested preventively on suspicion of crimes against the national financial system. Due to the suspected involvement of parliamentarians with this suspicion, the case went to the Supreme Court, where it is being processed under Toffoli’s report.
The newspaper The Globe also revealed that the law firm led by Viviane Barci de Moraes, wife of minister Alexandre de Moraes, signed a contract worth R$129 million with Master for legal representation as needed. The deal ended up undone after the liquidation of the financial institution.
So far, the ministers have not publicly commented on the controversies.
Despite being legal, some conduct by higher court judges has been criticized for years by experts, such as the lack of transparency regarding participation in events and lectures or the funding of international travel to participate in congresses and seminars, mainly in Europe.
