President Jair Bolsonaro today appointed federal judges Messod Azulay Neto and Paulo Sérgio Domingues to the post of ministers at the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). The vacancies were opened with the retirement of ministers Napoleão Nunes Maia Filho, in December 2020, and Nefi Cordeiro, in March of last year.
Those chosen will be submitted to a hearing in the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee of the Federal Senate. If approved by the collegiate and by the plenary of the House, they will be appointed by the President of the Republic.
Messod Azulay Neto is a judge at the Federal Regional Court of the 2nd Region (TRF2) and Paulo Sérgio Domingues, of the Federal Regional Court of the 3rd Region (TRF3).
The STJ is composed of 33 ministers. One third of the judges are chosen from among judges from the federal regional courts and one third from judges from the courts of Justice, indicated in a list drawn up by the superior court itself.
The last third is chosen, in equal parts, among lawyers and members of the Federal, State and Federal District and Territories Public Ministry, alternately. In this case, the representative bodies of the respective classes send a list with six names to the STJ, which is responsible for drawing up a triple list and sending it to the President of the Republic to choose.