(Apr. 24, 2009) On April 13, 2009, the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies, Federal Senate, and the Federal Supreme Court and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched the Second Republican Pact, which includes a proposal to further reform the Brazilian judiciary. The proposal was then sent to Congress with the support of all three branches of the government. After being analyzed, voted on, and approved by the Congress, the proposal will amend the Brazilian Constitution.
The First Republican Pact, forged in 2004, originated the current reform of the judiciary. The Second Pact is designed, inter alia, to reduce the judiciary's increasing annual caseload, to guarantee the rights of citizens under investigation by the Federal Police, to curb abusive practices of police authorities during federal investigations, and to create a means for companies to negotiate their tax debts directly with the Treasury Department, thereby helping to avoid litigation. (Três Poderes Lançam pacto para Reformar Judiciário, Valor Online, Apr. 14, 2009, available at http://www.valoronline.com.br/ValorImpresso/MateriaImpresso.aspx?tit=
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