Brazil Supreme Court Halts Creation of Impeachment Committee
- Committee members must be elected in an open vote, judge says
- Court decision shows how complex process is going to be
Brazilian Impeachment Efforts Build Against Rousseff
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice suspended the formation of a congressional committee that would recommend whether to continue impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff after the government suffered a setback in Congress.
Judge Luiz Edson Fachin issued the ruling Tuesday night, just hours after the lower house of Congress accepted the committee members who were appointed by the opposition. In a tumultuous session marred by physical scuffles between congressmen, pro-government lawmakers objected to the vote, saying it should have been public. The 65-member committee is supposed to hear Rousseff’s defense and recommend whether the full lower house should allow impeachment hearings to start in the Senate.