STJ Holds Disciplinary Hearing That Could Remove Minister Marco Buzzi
A 28‑member plenary will decide whether to follow an internal commission’s recommendation for dismissal or the PGR’s call for mandatory retirement, and any sanction is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Overview
- The Superior Tribunal de Justiça convened a disciplinary session on Thursday to consider allegations that Marco Buzzi committed sexual harassment and non‑consensual physical contact between 2023 and 2025.
- An internal three‑minister commission has prepared a report expected to recommend availability with dismissal as the maximum administrative sanction while the Procuradoria‑Geral da República urged mandatory retirement after finding victim statements coherent and convergent with other evidence.
- The hearing follows a set procedure: the commission will present its report, complainants, the Public Prosecutor and the defense each have one hour to speak, and 17 votes of the participating 28 ministers are required to impose or reject a sanction.
- Buzzi and his lawyers deny the accusations, the minister has been suspended since February, and the defense has signaled it will appeal any punitive decision to the Supreme Court, keeping the dispute active beyond the STJ vote.
- If the plenary applies the top administrative penalty it would be the first time an STJ minister is removed by an internal disciplinary process for sexual harassment, a development that would reshape internal accountability and likely prompt further legal and institutional review.