Barroso defends affirmative action policies in the Judiciary

The Chief Justice of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and the National Council of Justice (CNJ), Luís Roberto Barroso, defended the importance of adopting affirmative action policies in the Judiciary on Tuesday, the 24th. The statement was made during the Justice's final session as head of the CNJ . Next week, Barroso will complete his two-year term and will be succeeded by Justice Edson Fachin as head of the council.

In reviewing his administration, Barroso commented on data from the Justice in Numbers survey, released during the session. The survey indicates that the Judiciary has 278,826 employees and 18,748 judges. Only 14.3% of judges are Black, while the percentage of Black judges is 33.7%.

"Around 50% of the population identifies as Black or Brown, so representation in the Judiciary is deficient in relation to people who have this identity," said the minister, defending initiatives such as the program that grants scholarships to Black, disabled, and Indigenous people who will take the entrance exams for the judiciary.

The survey also indicates the presence of 39% female judges and 55.3% female civil servants in all branches of the Justice system.

Expenses

The survey also provides data on the Judiciary's spending. According to Barroso, expenses totaled R$146.5 billion in 2024, a 5.5% increase compared to 2023. These expenses represented 1.2% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In the president's assessment, the figures show that the Judiciary is expensive, but "worth a lot." According to Barroso, revenue from court fees and fines resulting from convictions accounts for more than half of the expenses. The survey indicates that Judiciary revenues last year reached R$79 billion, equivalent to 54% of expenses .

"The judiciary is expensive, I wouldn't deny that. But it provides a valuable service by having the Brazilian government present in 6,000 municipalities [5,570], not all of which are districts, all of which are served by judges who ensure access to justice," he stated.

Possession

On Monday, the 29th, Supreme Court Justices Edson Fachin and Alexandre de Moraes will be sworn in as president and vice-president of the Court, respectively. Fachin will succeed Barroso, who will complete a two-year term.