Luís Roberto Barroso | |
|---|---|
 Barroso in 2014 | |
| Justice of the Supreme Federal Court | |
| In office 26 June 2013 – 18 October 2025 | |
| Appointed by | Dilma Rousseff |
| Preceded by | Ayres Britto |
| President of the Supreme Federal Court | |
| In office 28 September 2023 – 29 September 2025 | |
| Vice President | Edson Fachin |
| Preceded by | Rosa Weber |
| Succeeded by | Edson Fachin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1958-03-11)11 March 1958 (age 67) Vassouras,Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Spouse | Tereza Cristina van Brussel (died 2023) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | |
Other judicial positions
| |
Luís Roberto Barroso (Portuguese pronunciation:[ɫwis,ɫwiʃʁoˈbeɾtubaˈʁɔzu]; born 11 March 1958) is a Brazilian lawprofessor,jurist, and retiredJustice of theSupreme Federal Court of Brazil, having been nominated to the position by PresidentDilma Rousseff in 2013. Between 2020 and 2022, Barroso also served as President of theSuperior Electoral Court.[1]
Barroso graduated in law from theUniversidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), holds aMaster's Degree in law fromYale University, and aPhD fromUERJ. He has donepost-doctoral studies atHarvard Law School and he is a professor ofConstitutional Law at UERJ.
He is considered aliberal andprogressive Justice,[2][3] providing landmark votes on the legalization ofabortion in pregnancies originated fromrape[4] and the criminalization ofhomophobia andtransphobia in Brazil.[5]
On 18 October 2025, Justice Barroso officially retired from the Supreme Court.[6]
Born in the city ofVassouras, Barroso received a bachelor's degree in law from theState University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) in 1980, and anLL.M. fromYale Law School in 1987. He received a doctorate inpublic law from UERJ in 2008 and is a tenured professor of constitutional law at the university.[7][8] In 2011, Barroso was a visiting scholar atHarvard Law School, and while in the United States published the paper "Here, there and everywhere: human dignity in contemporary law and in the transnational discourse".[9]
At 2011, Barroso became nationally known for being the lawyer of the militantCesare Battisti in Brazil. Barroso implemented a defense that argued that his client's actions were justified because the actions were part of Battisti's fight against an authoritarian Italian regime.[10]
Barroso owned the law firm Luís Roberto Barroso & Associados inRio de Janeiro, which specialized in public law and Supreme Court litigation.[9] Prior to being nominated to the Supreme Federal Court by Dilma Rousseff in May 2013 to replace JusticeCarlos Ayres Britto, Barroso served as a state attorney inRio de Janeiro state. He was the fourth Supreme Court nominee of Rousseff, who had previously nominated the justicesLuiz Fux,Rosa Weber andTeori Zavascki.[11] He was confirmed by theFederal Senate in early June, and was sworn into office on 26 June 2013.[12]
Barroso has been invited to lecture in various universities around the world, including theNew York University School of Law, in the United States, andLondon School of Economics andOxford University, in England.[13][14]
Barroso is an advocate for drug legalization, starting withdecriminalizing the possession of marijuana for private consumption.[15] His judicial views have been described asprogressive.[16]
On 9 October 2025, Barroso announced his retirement from the Supreme Federal Court, eight years before the mandatory retirement age of 75.[17]
On 13 November 2022, while inNew York City attending a conference by Grupo LIDE nearHarvard Club, Barroso was approached by Brazilian demonstrators, and in response he uttered the phrase "Perdeu mané, não amola" (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation:[peʁˈdewmaˈnɛnɐ̃w̃aˈmɔlɐ]), meaning: You lost, man, don't bother me.[18] It has become a notorious expression in Brazilian politics, having been defaced into a statue at thePraça dos Três Poderes by Débora Rodrigues, a far-right bolsonarist demonstrator during the8 January 2023 attacks.[19]
On 13 July 2023, while attending an event atUNE, he uttered the phrase "Nós derrotamos o bolsonarismo", meaning: We defeatedBolsonarism.[20] The phrase has been used by conservative Brazilians to accuse Barrroso of bias. He apologized for the phrase and later expressed regret.[21]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Justice of the Supreme Federal Court 2013–2025 | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Vice President of theSuperior Electoral Court 2018–2020 | Succeeded by |
| President of theSuperior Electoral Court 2020–2022 | ||
| Vice President of theSupreme Federal Court 2022–2023 | ||
| President of the Supreme Federal Court 2023–2025 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
