Gilmar Mendes Bars Sindmagis From Charging Non‑Member Judges

Overview

• Minister Gilmar Mendes issued a provisional order on Saturday that prevents the Sindicato dos Magistrados do Brasil (Sindmagis) from collecting an assistance contribution from judges who have not expressly joined the union.
• The order requires the entities that filed the case to hand over organizational documents within 15 days and gives all parties 30 days to file responses in the process.
• The decision leaves Sindmagis free to operate and allows voluntary membership, but it blocks any charge that would apply to non‑affiliated magistrates until the full Court rules.
• The challenge was brought by the Associação dos Magistrados Brasileiros and other groups that say the January 21, 2026 registration of Sindmagis is incompatible with the special constitutional statute for judges, and Gilmar flagged doubts about applying STF Tema 935—labor rules that allow fees for non‑union workers—to magistrates.
• What to watch next: Sindmagis’ Extraordinary General Assembly set for September 5 cannot impose fees on non‑members under the order, and the plenary ruling could decide whether judges may be represented or bound by labor‑style unions and their collective contributions.