Brazil's judiciary sees major reforms and high‑profile disputes

Deputy Sargento Gonçalves has publicly questioned the Tribunal de Justiça do Rio Grande do Norte over the prolonged promotion process of judge Henrique Baltazar, urging transparency and adherence to constitutional criteria.

At the Supreme Federal Court, minister Gilmar Mendes voted to keep the full ruling that declared the “marco temporal” unconstitutional, a decision that affects the demarcation of indigenous lands across Brazil. The court’s internal leadership shifted in August, with minister Luiz Fux assuming the presidency of the second chamber, a change that could influence ongoing investigations such as the high‑profile Master case.

The National Council of Justice approved a new rule allowing courts to extinguish fiscal execution actions that have been idle for more than 15 years, effectively ending thousands of old debt collections. The same council also issued Resolution 683, which dismisses low‑value, unlocatable extrajudicial executive actions, aiming to reduce the judicial backlog.

These developments reflect a broader push to streamline Brazil’s judicial system, address backlog issues, and reshape how the courts handle indigenous rights, high‑profile investigations, and longstanding debts.