Dias Toffoli: the head of Brazil’s Supreme Court in the spotlight

Upon leaving an event in São Paulo on Wednesday, José Antonio Dias Toffoli, Brazil’s Supreme Court chief justice, had his car surrounded by protesters. Dressed in green and yellow and chanting in support of President Jair Bolsonaro, they banged on the vehicle’s hood and unfurled a large banner which read: “The Hyenas of the Supreme Court.”

This was in reference to a video posted on the president’s official Twitter account on Monday, which consisted of a scene of an old lion being surrounded by snarling hyenas. Lifted directly from BBC Earth’s Dynasties nature documentary series, the video had been edited to depict Jair Bolsonaro as the weary feline, and the hyenas were given the face of a number of Brazilian political actors: the press, opposition parties, Jair Bolsonaro’s own party, and, crucially, the Supreme Court.

Mr. Bolsonaro soon deleted the video, with suspicions that it had been posted without his consent, possibly by his son, Carlos Bolsonaro. Regardless, it shows just how fraught the relationship between the Executive and the Supreme Court has become, with the latter embodied by the figure of its Chief Justice, Justice Toffoli.

Rarely has the country’s highest court taken on such a political role in Brazil as it has in recent years. And between now and the end of the year, Justice Toffoli, presiding over the tribunal, is one of the most powerful people in the country. Speaking during Wednesday’s protests, he appeared to be reveling in his...