Brazil's TSE bars candidate convicted of domestic violence

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has unanimously upheld the rejection of a candidacy for federal deputy in the 2026 general elections. The decision concerns an individual previously convicted of domestic violence and bodily injury against a woman.

The court maintained a prior ruling from the Regional Electoral Court of Alagoas (TRE-AL), recognizing that the criminal conviction constitutes a cause for ineligibility under Complementary Law No. 64/1990. Justice Dias Toffoli, the rapporteur, noted that recent legal reforms have significantly altered the legal treatment of violence against women, allowing the court to apply criteria based on the protected legal interest rather than just formal crime classification.

Following the ruling, the TSE will suggest that the National Congress urgently amend Complementary Law No. 64/1990 to explicitly include convictions for crimes involving violence against women as grounds for ineligibility, regardless of the specific legal classification of the offense.