Gabriela Hardt suspended for two years by Brazil's National Justice Council
The Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ) voted on 4 August to impose a two‑year availability sanction on federal judge Gabriela Hardt, who had served as Sergio Moro’s substitute in the 13th Federal Court of Curitiba during the Lava Jato investigations. The penalty, which removes the magistrate from duties while retaining proportional salary, was based on a 2019 decision in which Hardt approved an agreement to create a private foundation to manage roughly R$ 2‑2.5 billion recovered from Petrobras. CNJ counselor Rodrigo Badaró acted as relator; the plenary voted 10‑4 in favour of a two‑year term, with a minority of members proposing a one‑year suspension. CNJ president and Supreme Court minister Edson Fachin said “the ends do not justify the means.”
In the same session the council also applied a 60‑day availability sanction to appellate judges Carlos Eduardo Thompson Flores and Loraci Flores for continuing Lava Jato cases after a Supreme Court order to suspend them. The penalty was considered served because both judges had already been under precautionary removal. The disciplinary proceeding against federal judge Danilo Pereira Júnior was archived.
The decisions reflect the CNJ’s broader effort to enforce procedural discipline in high‑profile anti‑corruption cases.
Entities: Conselho Nacional de Justiça · Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ) · Gabriela Hardt · Lava Jato · Ministério Público Federal · Petrobras · Rodrigo Badaró · Sergio Moro · Supreme Federal Court (STF)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 15 SOURCES] The sanction was based on Hardt’s 2019 approval of an agreement to create a private foundation to manage about R$ 2‑2.5 billion recovered from Petrobras. (CNJ disciplinary report)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The CNJ imposed a 60‑day availability sanction on appellate judges Carlos Eduardo Thompson Flores and Loraci Flores for continuing Lava Jato cases after a Supreme Court suspension. (CNJ disciplinary decision)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The CNJ archived the disciplinary proceeding against federal judge Danilo Pereira Júnior. (CNJ decision)
- [● 15 SOURCES] Gabriela Hardt served as substitute for Sergio Moro in the 13th Federal Court of Curitiba during the Lava Jato investigations. (CNJ disciplinary records)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The CNJ plenary voted 10‑4 in favour of a two‑year penalty, while three members voted for a one‑year term. (CNJ voting record)
- [● 15 SOURCES] Edson Fachin, president of the CNJ and a minister of the Supreme Court, said “the ends do not justify the means” regarding Hardt’s sanction. (CNJ press release)
- [● 15 SOURCES] Rodrigo Badaró acted as the relator for the disciplinary case against Gabriela Hardt. (CNJ case file)
- [● 15 SOURCES] The CNJ imposed a two‑year availability sanction on judge Gabriela Hardt. (CNJ decision on 4 August 2026)