Rosa Weber now chief justice of Brazil’s Supreme Court

Justice Rosa Weber took office as head of Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday (Sep 12). She is the third woman ever to occupy the post in the history of the nation’s top court and comes to succeed Justice Luiz Fux, who has completed his two-year term. 

The chief justice, who is also to chair the National Justice Council, will be in charge of the court for one year. In October 2023, when she will be 75 years old, Justice Weber must retire. Second in charge now is Justice Luís Roberto Barroso. 

The inauguration was attended by lower house speaker Arthur Lira and Senator Rodrigo Pacheco, head of the upper house, as well as other authorities from the three branches of government.

Bio

Rosa Weber was born in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, in South Brazil, and graduated in Legal Sciences from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

She was active as a labor lawyer before joining the court in 2011, when she was appointed by former President Dilma Rousseff. She was a labor judge, worked at a regional labor court and at the Superior Court of Labor. After taking office at the Supreme Court, she was also head of the Superior Electoral Court between 2018 and 2020.