CNJ Opens Disciplinary Case, Maintains Suspension of Paraná Judge Over Misogynistic Remarks

Overview

• The National Council of Justice voted unanimously on October 14 to open a disciplinary administrative proceeding against Judge Luís César de Paula Espíndola and to keep him removed from his duties.
• The case stems from a 2024 court session in which he minimized protective measures for a 12-year-old who reported harassment and said that women are 'crazy after men.'
• The complaint by the Paraná bar association cites repeated moral and sexual harassment allegations since the 1980s, and the CNJ relator referenced conduct incompatible with judicial duties and a past conviction for bodily harm in a domestic violence case.
• Possible penalties include measures from warning to compulsory retirement, and reporting indicates the proceeding could take up to four months to conclude.
• While suspended, he continues to receive salary and benefits, with September net pay above R$61,000, and his defense claims his right to participate in the CNJ session was curtailed.