Top Brazilian Court to Discuss Bolsonaro Case Review as Full Panel
Listen to the story
Justices on Brazil's Supreme Court, known as the STF, have told Justice Nunes Marques that a request to review former President Jair Bolsonaro's criminal conviction should be judged by the full court, rather than decided alone.
Bolsonaro was convicted in a case related to an alleged coup plot, a plan to seize power outside of legal and electoral means. After the conviction became final, his defense filed a criminal review, a legal tool used to challenge a court decision that can no longer be appealed in the normal way.
Nunes Marques is the justice responsible for analyzing this request. According to the report, other members of the court have signaled that, given the case's importance, it should go to the plenary, meaning all justices would vote on it together instead of just one judge deciding.
Brazil's PGR, the Attorney General's office responsible for federal prosecutions, has already given its opinion on whether Bolsonaro's conviction in the coup case should be annulled, according to the summary, though further details were not specified.
Separately, Justice Kassio Nunes Marques — referred to in the report simply as Kassio — stated that the criminal review will only be analyzed after the second round of the current elections. This suggests the court does not plan to take up the sensitive case until the electoral period concludes.
The case continues to draw significant attention in Brazil, as it concerns the legal fate of a former president convicted in connection with an alleged attempt to overturn the democratic process.
Vocabulary10 words
- STF
- Brazil's top court; it decides the most important legal cases
- coup plot
- a secret plan to take power without an election
- criminal review
- a request to re-examine a final court decision
- plenary
- a session where all judges of a court vote together
- PGR
- Brazil's federal prosecution office; it handles major legal cases
- conviction
- an official court decision that someone is guilty
- annulled
- officially canceled, as if it never happened
- defense
- the lawyers who represent an accused person
- electoral period
- the time when an election is happening
- justice
- a judge on a high court
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. That the review should go to the full court 2. A tool to challenge a final court decision 3. True
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Justices on Brazil's Supreme Court, known as the _____, have told Justice Nunes Marques that a request to review Bolsonaro's conviction should be judged by the full court.
Bolsonaro was convicted in a case related to an alleged _____, a plan to seize power outside legal means.
His defense filed a _____, a legal tool used to challenge a final court decision.
_____ Marques is the justice responsible for analyzing this request.
Other members of the court have signaled the case should go to the _____.
Brazil's _____, the federal prosecution office, has already given its opinion on the matter.
Justice _____ stated the review will only be analyzed after the second round of elections.
This suggests the court does not plan to take up the case until the _____ period concludes.
The case concerns the legal fate of a former president convicted in connection with an alleged attempt to overturn the democratic _____.
Discussion questions
- Why might a court decide that an important case should be judged by all justices together instead of one judge alone?
- What could be the reasons for waiting until after the elections to analyze this case?
- Why do you think this case is drawing significant attention in Brazil?
- What role does a prosecution office like the PGR play in cases like this?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
