Edson Fachin, president of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) and the National Council of Justice (CNJ), created a working group to map indemnity payments to magistrates [1].
This initiative targets the transparency of "penduricalhos," or additional indemnity parcels paid to judges, which have long been a point of contention regarding judicial spending and public accountability in Brazil. By mapping these payments, the government aims to standardize compensation and eliminate irregular benefits.
The inter-branch working group will operate for six months [1]. It is composed of members from the three branches of government to ensure a comprehensive approach to the oversight of judicial compensation [1].
The primary objective of the group is to produce a detailed map of the indemnity parcels currently paid to judges [1]. This data will serve as the foundation for a legislative or technical proposal intended to reform how these payments are handled [1].
According to the established mandate, the working group will support the drafting of a law or a technical note [1]. These documents are intended to address pending congressional proposals that have yet to be resolved regarding the regulation of judicial benefits [1].
Fachin's move signals a push for greater fiscal discipline within the judiciary. The effort involves coordination between the CNJ and the National Council of the Public Ministry (CNMP) to implement new rules for these payments [2].
“The inter-branch working group will operate for six months.”
The creation of this working group indicates an effort to align judicial compensation with broader public service standards in Brazil. By involving all three branches of government, the STF is attempting to create a legally sustainable framework that reduces the use of discretionary indemnities, potentially lowering the cost of the judiciary and addressing public criticism over judicial privileges.
