The Supreme Court’s silent internal war

There’s a silent war brewing in the Supreme Court. In one corner is Chief Justice Cármen Lúcia; in the other, Justice Edson Fachin, the overseer of Operation Car Wash. Their struggle centers around whether the Supreme Court should analyze Lula’s request to postpone his prison sentence until all appeals are exhausted – which could take years.

In 2016, the Court decided that appellate courts could order the beginning of the sentencing after a confirmed conviction, without the need to judge all appeals. The trial was a close 6-5 vote, and there’s reason to believe that the verdict would be different today, given the current political climate and the fact that the court has new justices.

Fachin wants Lúcia to...