Dias Toffoli

His Excellency Dias Toffoli
59th President of the Supreme Federal Court
In office 13 September 2018 – 10 September 2020
Vice President	Luiz Fux
Preceded by	Cármen Lúcia
Succeeded by	Luiz Fux
Justice of the Supreme Federal Court
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 October 2009
Appointed by	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Preceded by	Menezes Direito
Attorney General of the Union
In office 12 March 2007 – 23 October 2009
President	Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Preceded by	Álvaro Augusto Ribeiro Costa
Succeeded by	Luís Inácio Adams
Personal details
Born	José Antonio Dias Toffoli (1967-11-15) 15 November 1967 (age 56) Marília, São Paulo, Brazil
Alma mater	Law School, University of São Paulo (LL.B.)
Signature
Other judicial positions 2018–2020: President, National Justice Council 2016–2018: Vice President, Supreme Federal Court 2014–2016: President, Superior Electoral Court 2013–2014: Vice President, Superior Electoral Court 2012–2016: Justice, Superior Electoral Court 2009–2012: Substitute Justice, Superior Electoral Court

José Antonio Dias Toffoli (born November 15, 1967) is a Brazilian lawyer who has been a member of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil since 2009, nominated by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Toffoli was the president of the Supreme Federal Court for the 2018–20 term.^[1][2]

Biography[edit]

José Dias Toffoli was born in Marília, São Paulo in 1967, the son of Luiz Toffoli and Sebastiana Seixas Dias Toffoli. He attended the law school of the University of São Paulo from 1986 to 1990, graduating with a bachelor's degree in law.^[3] While in college, Toffoli presided the student union.^[4] From 1996 to 2002 he was a professor of constitutional and family law at Centro Universitário de Brasília.^[3]

In 1994 and 1995 Toffoli took examinations for a position as a judge in the state of São Paulo, but was twice rejected.^[5] Toffoli was then the legal representative for the Workers' Party (PT) in the presidential campaigns of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 1998, 2002 and 2006.^[6]

From March 2001 to December 2002 Toffoli was a co-owner of the law firm Toffoli & Telesca Advogados, and from 2005 to 2007 co-owned the firm Toffoli & Rangel Advogados. In 2007, Toffoli was appointed Attorney General of Brazil by President Lula.^[3]

Supreme Court nomination[edit]

On 17 September 2009 President Lula nominated Dias Toffoli, then his Attorney General of Brazil, for the Supreme Federal Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito two weeks prior. Upon his nomination, Toffoli resigned as Attorney General, and was replaced by Evandro Costa Gama.^[7]

After being confirmed by the Senate to the Supreme Court, Toffoli took his seat as Justice on 23 October 2009, aged 41. He was, at the time, the youngest person to become Supreme Court justice since 1988, and remains as one of the youngest people to enter the court. He was the eighth Supreme Court nomination by President Lula.^[8]

Presidency of the Supreme Federal Court[edit]

On 13 September 2018, Toffoli succeeded Justice Carmen Lúcia as the president of the Supreme Federal Court. The court's vice president in this term is Luiz Fux.^[9]

Odebrecht report[edit]

In April 2019 the Crusoé magazine reported that a document from Operation Car Wash reveals that then-Solicitor General Toffoli was involved in the Odebrecht scandal, according to the company's former chairman Marcelo Odebrecht. On 15 April STF justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered that Crusoé take down the article from their website. Toffoli himself later requested a probe into whether Crusoé illegally leaked the document. The Court's decision on the matter was criticized by outlets such as The Intercept on the basis of censorship and attack on the freedom of the press.^[10][11]

References[edit]