Today (1st) the name of the former Minister of Justice and former Attorney General of the Union André Mendonça was approved by the Committee for the Constitution of Justice (CCJ) of the Federal Senate. The event, which lasted about 8 hours, had a secret ballot. Of the 27 present, 18 voted in favor of Mendonça, another 9 against.
In the last part of the hearing, several senators publicly anticipated the vote, among them Simone Tebet (MDB-MS), Jorginho de Mello (PL-SC), Orioristo Guimarães (Podemos-SP) and Eduardo Gião (Podemos-CE). They highlighted the humility and unblemished reputation of the candidate for the seat of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
drugs
Asked about a possible decriminalization of drug use in Brazil – without specifying which they would be -, Mendonça said he is convinced that drugs are bad for people and that there must be public policies to combat them.
Right to life and euthanasia
Although he said that the right to life must be preserved, Mendonça considered that cases of people with advanced age and who are suffering from treatments must be analyzed. However, he declared the adoption of euthanasia as a public policy reckless.
Role of the Judiciary
The candidate for the vacancy in the STF heard, repeatedly, statements from senators regarding the concern with the so-called “judicial activism”, the extrapolation of power by judges and the Supreme Court. Again, Mendonça defended respect for the primordial role of the powers: “It is up to the legislature to legislate”, he said, but he clarified that this does not mean that the judiciary can omit itself in the face of possible legislative issues. For him, the role of the judiciary should be a more reserved role.
Plenary
After being questioned and voted on by the CCJ of the Senate, Mendonça will have his name submitted to the scrutiny of 81 senators in the House’s plenary. To have the name approved at this stage, the jurist will need the support of at least 41 of the 81 senators.
