Amazonas Legislature approves expansion of Court of Justice judges

The Legislative Assembly of Amazonas (Aleam) has unanimously approved a bill to increase the number of appellate judges (desembargadores) at the Court of Justice of Amazonas (TJAM) from 26 to 34. The expansion will be implemented gradually through 2028: four new positions will be added in 2026, two in 2027, and the final two in 2028.

In addition to the eight new judges, the project creates 80 cabinet positions and 24 gratified functions to support the expanded court. This marks the first change to the court's composition in nearly 13 years.

The National Council of Justice (CNJ) provided a favorable opinion on the proposal, citing a 13.49% population increase in Amazonas alongside a 211.5% rise in new lawsuits and a 225.5% increase in pending cases. The CNJ also noted that the financial impact remains within current budgetary limits, specifically staying below the 6% threshold established by the Budgetary Guidelines Law.