Brazilian Federal Court Suspends Enamed Sanctions on Medical Schools

The president of the Regional Federal Court of the 1st Region (TRF‑1), Judge Maria do Carmo Cardoso, issued a provisional injunction suspending the use of the Exame Nacional de Avaliação da Formação Médica (Enamed) results as a basis for penalties imposed by the Ministry of Education (MEC) on medical courses that received scores of 1 or 2. The decision, granted on 5 August 2026, follows a request from the Associação Brasileira de Mantenedoras de Ensino Superior (Abmes) and the Associação Brasileira das Faculdades (Abrafi), which argued that the evaluation methodology and cut‑off criteria were disclosed only after the exam was administered, violating principles of transparency and legal certainty.

The suspension applies to the 107 courses nationwide that were classified as insufficient, halting measures such as suspension of new admissions, reduction of vacancy numbers and restriction from federal financing programs (Fies, Prouni). Specific states mentioned include Minas Gerais (12 courses), Paraná (3 courses), Paraíba (4 courses), Bahia (12 courses) and others. The injunction remains in effect until the case is finally judged, and the MEC retains the right to appeal.

The ruling underscores ongoing disputes over the Enamed’s methodology and its impact on higher‑education regulation, while highlighting the role of judicial oversight in Brazil’s education policy.