MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rosa Weber sworn in as Brazil's new STF Chief Justice

The STF has been the target of unfair and repeated attacks, Weber argued

Rosa Weber was sworn in Monday as the new Chief Justice of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) after Judge Luiz Fux completed his two-year term.

Weber, the third woman to occupy such a post, will remain in charge until October next year when she will be forced to retire after turning 75 and Deputy Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso might be promoted.

Monday's inauguration ceremony was attended by the Speakers of both Houses of Congress: Arthur Lira (Deputies) and Rodrigo Pacheco (Senate) in addition to other high-ranking officials from all branches of government.

In her acceptance speech, Weber defended the democratic rule of law and compliance with the Constitution. “We live in particularly difficult times in the institutional life of the country, truly disturbing times of undesirable Manichaeisms. The STF cannot ignore this reality because it has been the target of unfair and repeated attacks, even under the charge of judicial activism by those who are unaware of the constitutional text,” she said.

Justice Cármen Lúcia, who spoke on behalf of the other justices of the Court, stressed that Weber's appointment as CJ was of legal and social importance. “The investiture of Your Excellency honors the Brazilian citizenship. It is a cause for jubilation for the Brazilian magistrature, still composed mostly of men. The Labor Justice branch is the only one of the Brazilian Judiciary that demonstrates the need to overcome the inequality between men and women in public positions. In that branch of the Judiciary, the number of male and female judges is balanced,” Lúcia said.

Rosa Weber was born in Porto Alegre and graduated in Legal Sciences from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). She worked in the labor judiciary before reaching the STF, in 2011, when she was appointed by former President Dilma Rousseff. She was a labor judge, passed through the Regional Labor Court of the 4th Region and the Superior Labor Court (TST). After taking office at the Supreme Court, Weber also presided over the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) between 2018 and 2020.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)