Amid growing tension between the Supreme Court (STF) and the Planalto Palace, the court justices critiqued the Executive branch on Tuesday on its encouragement of attacks against the Supreme Court.
The harshest speech came from Justice Celso de Mello delivered the harshest speech. He said that the surviving "residue of strong authoritarianism" in the Brazilian state was "inconceivable."
"It is inconceivable that the residue of strong authoritarianism still survives within the Brazilian state apparatus, which insists on proclaiming that it may disrespect, according to its own arbitrary will, judicial decisions. This speech is not the speech of a statesman committed to respecting the democratic order and submitting to the empire of the Constitution and the laws of the Republic," said the minister.
Without directly citing President Jair Bolsonaro, the justice referred to the threat made by the president and his ministers that the government may eventually fail to comply with court decisions. This is not the first time that Celso has sent messages to the Plateau.
Justice Cármen Lúcia, started the session talking about how supporters of the president have attacked the STF.
Carmen said she was concerned about the scenario and said that the attacks are not spontaneous, but "instigated and encouraged," without mentioning names. She said that the actions of "a few" will not intimidate members of the Judiciary in keeping the Constitution and enforcing the law.
With a series of issues pending in the courts, the Bolsonaro government has taken an attacking stance towards the Judiciary and, especially, the Supreme Court. In demonstrations in defense of the government, supporters of the president have directed criticism of the institution.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon