Brazil's Chamber of Deputies Approves Bill Limiting Appeals to Superior Court

The Chamber of Deputies in Brazil has approved a bill that introduces new criteria for admitting special appeals to the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), effectively limiting the number of cases that reach the court. The legislation, authored by Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, also empowers a case's rapporteur to suspend proceedings on matters deemed of "relevance" for up to one year nationwide, pending a final STJ decision. This mechanism mirrors that used for extraordinary appeals at the Supreme Federal Court (STF), though the STJ's special appeals focus on infraconstitutional matters, unlike the STF's constitutional purview. The STJ may now reject special appeals if the controversy lacks economic, political, social, or legal relevance, or if it only affects the parties involved. Appellants must specifically argue for the relevance of their case. The bill also clarifies that withdrawing a recurso does not prevent the STJ from ruling on issues already recognized for their relevance. The decision on relevance, whether accepted or rejected, will impact ongoing cases at both the STJ and lower courts. Proponents argue this measure will rationalize the appellate process, allowing the STJ to concentrate on high-impact issues and fulfill its role in standardizing federal law interpretation. However, some government coalition members, including the PT-PCdoB-PV and PSOL/Rede federations, criticized the bill, expressing concerns that it restricts access to justice and could create a "class filter," disproportionately affecting poorer citizens by limiting their ability to appeal to higher courts.