On Tuesday, November 8, Minister Gilmar Mendes, Minister Teori Zavascki and Minister José Antonio Dias Toffoli of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court visited the Law Library of Congress. Minister Mendes is also the current president of the Brazilian Superior Electoral Tribunal, and Minister Zavascki is the vice-president.
The Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (equivalent to the United States Supreme Court) is the highest court in Brazil. The Court is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the Brazilian Constitution as well as functioning as a court of review. The Superior Electoral Tribunal is a specialized court dedicated to electoral law issues and the organization and supervision of elections in the country.
The Ministers met with Senior Foreign Law Specialist Eduardo Soares who serves as the Law Library’s Brazilian law specialist; covering the laws of Brazil and also the laws of Portuguese speaking countries. Nathan Dorn, the Law Library’s rare book curator, provided the ministers with a rare book presentation.