Lula Proposes STF Term Limits and Nepotism Ban Amid Brazil’s Judicial Crisis

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called for a “profound reform” of the Brazilian Judiciary, proposing two fundamental changes to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) in direct response to the institutional crisis triggered by the ongoing Banco Master investigation. The proposals include introducing term limits for STF ministers and implementing strict new “moralization criteria” to prevent conflicts of interest.

The president demanded Congress consider a cap on the time ministers spend on the bench, stating that the current system of lifetime appointments until age 75 is excessive. “No one can stay 40 years in the same position,” Lula said, pushing a long-debated issue—the tenure of the STF justices—back to the political forefront. The proposed ethics rule would specifically prohibit family members of judges from acting as lawyers before the courts, a measure that directly addresses the core public controversy facing the Supreme Court.

Lula’s intervention comes as the STF is engulfed in a public dispute over the validity of a Federal Police (PF) report that detailed messages between Minister Alexandre de Moraes and former Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro. The report, which is part of an investigation into the bank's alleged massive frauds, suggested that Vorcaro sought privileged information from Moraes regarding the investigation. The conflict-of-interest allegations are compounded by the finding of “millionaire contracts” between Vorcaro and the law firm belonging to Moraes’s wife, Viviane Barci de Moraes. The judicial turmoil forced a contentious session of the court this week, which was abruptly suspended after a request for review by Minister Flávio Dino.

The President has intensified his framing of the controversy, classifying the entire crisis surrounding the Banco Master case as the “biggest financial crime in Brazil’s history”. He also called for the "complete lifting of the secrecy" on all investigations related to the matter to ensure maximum transparency. Lula argued that the judiciary is suffering from a deep institutional crisis, which he claims is being exacerbated by selective information leaks aimed at influencing the current electoral environment.

While Lula’s comments set the political agenda, any change to the structure of the STF would require the passage of a Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC) in Congress, where his allies will be tasked with introducing the measure. The next immediate step for the Supreme Court is the resumption of the in-house debate on whether to formally investigate Minister Alexandre de Moraes, which remains stalled after the procedural interruption.