Lula indicates lawyer Veronica Abdalla Sterman for STM Minister on Women’s Day

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) indicated on Saturday (8), lawyer Veronica Abdalla Sterman for the position of Minister of the Superior Military Court (STM). The nomination was published in extra edition of the Official Gazette (DOU) on International Women’s Day.

The lawyer needs to be sabbatinated by the Senate and have the name approved by the house to take over the post. If admitted to the position, Veronica Abdalla Sterman will take over a chair for law, which will open in April with the retirement of Minister José Coêlho Ferreira, current vice president of the Court.

Pressure for Woman

The nomination for the vacancy is for free choice of the President of the Republic, provided that requirements are met, such as being over 35 years and remarkable legal knowledge.

Lula, however, was pressured to choose a woman for the post. Publicly, Minister Maria Elizabeth Rocha, who assumes the presidency of STM on the next 12th, made an appeal to the president.

“I am here crying out to the president, so that I have a mate who can, along with me, to defend gender issues. Many times, because I am the only one in court, my voice is little heard. But I don’t surrender to homogeneity, ”said the minister in an interview with CNN Brasil on the 1st.

If approved by the Senate, Veronica Abdalla Sterman will be the second named woman of the Court.

Gleisi Defense

Maria Elizabeth Rocha was the first minister nominated for STM since 1808, when the court was created by Dom João VI. She was also appointed by Lula in 2007 for a vacancy for law.

Veronica Sterman’s name was defended by the first lady Rosângela da Silva, the Janja, and the new minister of the Secretariat of Institutional Relations, Gleisi Hoffmann. The lawyer defended Gleisi and her ex-husband, former minister Paulo Bernardo, in cases of Operation Lava Jato.

In August last year, Veronica Sterman was pretended by Lula for a vacancy Federal Regional Court of the 3rd Region (TRF-3). At the time, the president chose Marcos Moreira, sponsored by Luiz Marinho, Minister of Labor.

Lula is targeted and criticized for prioritizing men in nominations to higher courts. In this third term, for example, he chose Cristiano Zanin and Flávio Dino for the Supreme Court (STF).