President of Brazil's Supreme Court Suspends Parts of Temer's Christmas Pardon

12/29/2017 - 11h07

The president of Brazil's Supreme Court (STF), justice Cármen Lúcia, suspended parts of the 'Christmas pardon' extended to convicts by president Michel Temer.

The provisional decision was issued in response to a request put forward by Brazil's Prosecutor General, Raquel Dodge, who not only found Temer's actions unconstitutional, but also considered them an abuse of power that could ultimately jeopardize Operation Car Wash proceedings.

According to Brazil's constitution, convicts who benefit from such pardons - which are typically conceded on Christmas - no longer have to serve their sentences or comply with any other judicial duties.

Among the articles contained in the pardoning that were suspended by the president of Brazil's Supreme Court was the unrestricted pardoning of convicts who served a fifth of their sentences as long as they had no priors and the crimes they committed did not involve serious threats or violence.

The justice's ruling will hold legal bearing until either chairman Luís Roberto Barroso or the Supreme Court as a whole appraise her decision.

Temer requested Justice Minister Torquato Jardim to write up a new decree.

NEW REQUEST

President Michel Temer plans on writing up a new 'Christmas pardon' in order to replace the articles that were suspended by the president of Brazil's Supreme Court (STF), justice Cármen Lúcia.

According to Justice Minister Torquato Jardim, the president requested that he consider writing up a new decree capable of filling in the blanks that arose from the STF ruling.

In order to avoid a conflict with the Judicial branch, the administration plans on complying with the ruling issued by justice Cármen Lúcia that altered the rules of the official pardon that was published on the 22nd of December.

This would be a form of avoiding further tensions between the Judicial branch and the Temer administration.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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	Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters
	Brazil's President Michel Temer speaks during a press statement at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia