Brazilian Supreme Court Audit Finds R$1.1 Billion Owed to Judges

An audit by the Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ) identified calculation errors in the Additional for Time of Service (ATS) benefits for magistrates in 59 of Brazil's 63 courts. Only four courts – the Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ), the Tribunal de Justiça do Distrito Federal (TJDFT), the Tribunal de Justiça do Espírito Santo (TJ‑ES) and the Tribunal Regional Federal da 3ª Região (TRF‑3) – had correct calculations.

The audit, submitted to the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) on 7 August 2026, revealed pending retroactive ATS payments amounting to R$1.1 billion for 782 magistrates. Fifty‑four judges each owe more than R$3 million, with the highest individual claim at R$3.9 million. The STF must validate these figures. The review follows a March 2026 STF decision that suspended all retroactive payments until proper audit criteria were established, requiring that benefit bases use the actual monthly remunerations respecting the constitutional salary ceiling.