⚖️ An open-door court

LAW AND DEMOCRACY

The most accessible court in the West

For observers following Brazilian politics from abroad, it may seem curious that the country’s Supreme Court features so prominently in national headlines — far more so than is typical in many other nations (including the US). 

This stems from several characteristics of Brazil’s constitutional framework. The responsibilities given to the Supreme Court are broad, ranging from ruling on criminal cases involving high-ranking federal officials, to interpreting the Constitution in ways that set binding precedents for all similar legal disputes nationwide. Depending on several technicalities, it can even be the last court of appeal for matters involving mere domestic disputes.

The Supreme Court issued over 114,000 rulings last year alone, according to its own data. At the end of 2024, there were 20,355 cases under review — but even that was 15% less than the year before...

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