Brazil’s Top Court Chief Sets New Rules for Third-Party Petitions

Supreme Court President Edson Fachin issued a resolution on Friday setting new rules for validating petitions from individuals not part of original cases, amid an internal dispute among justices. The measure requires third-party documents to undergo screening by the Judicial Secretariat before reaching case files. If a request comes from someone outside the original case, the presidency must order creation of a new proceeding, subject to random assignment among justices. The move follows requests from Justice Kassio Nunes Marques regarding election-related urgent petitions, after Justice Flávio Dino overturned a ruling by André Mendonça, and Justice Gilmar Mendes authorized a candidate's debate participation, reversing Justice Cármen Lúcia's decision.