Brazil's New STJ President Luís Felipe Salomão Says Politically Active Judges Are in the Wrong Profession

Luís Felipe Salomão will assume the presidency of Brazil's Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) on 19 August after 18 years on the court, including a term as national justice corregidor at the Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ). In a recent interview with the Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo, Salomão warned that judges who express political positions are "in the wrong profession" and urged strict impartiality from the judiciary.

He also advocated a mandatory quarantine period for judges and members of the Ministério Público who wish to run for elected office, arguing that a gap between leaving public service and entering politics would protect institutional credibility. Salomão cited his own investigations into the use of funds from Operation Lava Jato as an example of the need for oversight and transparency within the justice system.