Senate has not rejected presidential nomination to the STF for more than 130 years

With the hearing scheduled at the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) for the 10th, the Union’s attorney general, Jorge Messias, faces resistance in the Senate. Messias was nominated to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to take over the seat left by retired minister Luiz Roberto Barroso.

Now, the Lula government seeks to reduce tension and guarantee the acceptance of Messiah, contradicting the name preferred by the Senate, that of senator Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), supported by the president of the House, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP). To be confirmed, Messiah must obtain at least 41 votes.

The tense atmosphere of this nomination contrasts with the historical tradition of the Brazilian Senate, which rarely rejects presidential nominations to the Supreme Court.

Since 1894, for example, the Senate has only barred five nominations from President Marechal Floriano Peixoto, namely a doctor, two generals, a deputy attorney and the director of the Post Office.

Cândido Barata Ribeiro, doctor;
Innocencio Galvão de Queiroz, Army general;
Ewerton Quadros, Army general;
Antônio Sève Navarro, Deputy Attorney of the Republic;
Demosthenes da Silveira Lobo, general director of Correios;

At the time, the vetoes occurred close to the recently promulgated Constitution of 1891, more than 130 years ago, and remain a historical reference on rejections of presidential nominations.

Who is Jorge Messias

Jorge Rodrigo Araújo Messias was chosen to head the Attorney General’s Office (AGU) in the third term of the Lula government. The Attorney General’s Office of the National Treasury (PGFN), Messias’s original body, is part of the AGU structure.

With this, Messias succeeded Bruno Bianco, former executive secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Pensions, appointed to the position by the current president, Jair Bolsonaro.

Messiah is a career server. He joined the public service in 2002, after passing a competition for the position of banking technician at Caixa Econômica Federal. From Pernambuco, he graduated in Law from the Faculty of Law of Recife (UFPE).

He is also part of the Management Instruments and Technologies Research Group at the University of Brasília (UNB), where he is a collaborating professor.

If confirmed, Messias will replace Pernambuco among states represented in the STF after 62 years.