Luiz Fux

Legal career

After graduating from the law school of the then-State University of Guanabara (now State University of Rio de Janeiro) in 1976, Fux first worked as an in-house counsel for oil company Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda. until 1978. From 1978 until 1982 he served as a prosecutor for the .

In 1983, Fux started his tenure as a judge in Rio de Janeiro state, after an exam in which he achieved the best score, and was later promoted to the position of Entrância Especial judge and assigned to the 9th Civil Court of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Fux served as an electoral judge in the 13th and 25th Electoral Zones in Rio de Janeiro, and later promoted to the position of judge of the Court of Jurisdiction of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

In 1997, Fux was appointed to the , where he remained until 2001.

Career in the STJ

In 2001, Fux was appointed by then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso as a justice (ministro) of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) as the third judge of the Courts of Justice, filling a vacancy left by justice , who had retired. He was sworn in on 29 October 2001.

In 2003, Luiz Fux was rapporteur in the Superior Court of Justice trial that legalised Tele Sena, reversing a decision by the Federal Court of the 3rd Region. In March 2005, Fux was admitted by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Order of Military Merit in the degree of Special Commander.

Career in the STF and TSE

Fux was appointed as a justice of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) by President Dilma Rousseff on 1 February 2011 filling a vacancy left by the retirement of justice in August 2010. On 10 February, his nomination was confirmed in a 68-2 vote by the Senate, and Fux started his tenure in the court on 3 March 2011. On 23 March 2011, Fux gave the decisive vote rendering the Lei da Ficha Limpa unconstitutional in its applicability to the 2010 Brazilian general election.

In an interview with Folha de S.Paulo on 2 December 2012, Fux spoke about the lobbying effort that preceded his nomination to the Supreme Court by President Dilma Rousseff. Among those he claimed requested political support was José Dirceu, Chief of Staff of President Lula, then still an influential figure in the ruling Workers Party (PT), despite his implication in the Mensalão scandal. In several meetings, they discussed the forthcoming criminal trial in the Supreme Court. José Dirceu allegedly interpreted the conversations as a promise of acquittal by the would-be justice. Once a member of the court, Justice Fux sided with the majority, voting to convict most defendants, including José Dirceu himself.

Fux has also served as a member of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) since 2014, and has served as the TSE's vice-president from 2016 to 2017 and president in 2018.

In 2025, Fux cast a dissenting vote in the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro in the STF and ruled to acquit him on charges of attempting a coup.

Personal life

Fux has practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since the age of 26 and is currently an 8th degree white and red belt.

References

References

1. (February 10, 2011). "Brazil's highest court names first Jewish justice". Jewish Telegraph Agency.
2. "Ata da Sessão Solene do Plenário Realizada no dia 9 de novembro de 2001". STJ.
3. "STJ reconhece legalidade da Telesena". Boletim de Notícias Lotéricas.
4. (22 March 2005). "Decreto".
5. "Senado aprova indicação de Luiz Fux para o Supremo".
6. "Art. 16". Constituição brasileira de 1988.
7. (December 2, 2012). "Em campanha para o STF, Luiz Fux procurou José Dirceu". Folha de S.Paulo.
8. (11 September 2025). "Brazil Supreme Court justice breaks with 2 peers, votes to absolve Bolsonaro as trial continues". AP News.
9. (October 19, 2019). "Ministro Luiz Fux recebe faixa vermelha e branca do jiu-jitsu".