Brazil's Superior Tribunal de Justiça faces record caseload and backs relevance‑filter bill

The Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) reported a record intake of 260,220 new cases in the first half of 2026, bringing its total docket to about 318,000 actions, up by roughly 25,000 compared with the same period in 2025. The court highlighted the strain on its resources, noting that judges and auxiliary magistrates have processed millions of procedural minutes and that the Assessoria de Admissibilidade, Recursos Repetitivos e Relevância (ARP) contributed to over 104,000 final decisions and the disposal of 65,420 cases.

In response, the Senate approved Project Law 3.085/2026, drafted by the STJ and sponsored by Senator Davi Alcolumbre, to create a “relevance filter” for special appeals. The proposal would allow the STJ to decline examination of appeals that do not raise issues of significant economic, political, social or legal impact, aiming to focus the court on matters of broader importance and reduce the backlog.

The legislation now moves to the Chamber of Deputies for further consideration.