Brazil’s Supreme Court approved a ruling that could potentially overturn the the corruption convictions imposed in the Car Wash operation cases.
In seven votes to three, the Supreme Court ruled that defendants mentioned in plea deals have the right to defend themselves after the testimony. This procedural change can be applied to more cases to be reviewed. The case of the small Atibaia (SP) farmstead, in which Lula was incriminated, falls under these conditions.
The decision also marks the beginning of a sequence of “messages" that the Supreme Court will give to the Car Wash task force and former Judge Sergio Moro, today Minister of Justice.
The subject of arrest after a decision in an appeal, a pillar of the Car Wash operation, should go to plenary in October.
With the absence of Marco Aurélio Mello, President Dias Toffoli will continue the session on Wednesday (2). He wants to define a rule that will avoid a ripple effect on other cases. One idea might be to accept revisions to court case decisions only when the defendants complained about the procedural rite in the first instance.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon