Proposal for Amendment

It was announced this week that the Senate leader of the Labor Party, Wellington Dias, is planning to submit a proposal for an amendment to the Constitution (PEC) that would see the National Council of Justice (CNJ) supervise the courts of public auditors. It also has an attachment that would add new responsibilities to the National Council of the Attorney General.

According to the senator, these changes could cover the gap of supervision and transparency in the audit courts which handles municipal, state and federal managers regarding the use of public resources.

For this to happen, the PEC would shake up the current councils and create new seats and categories. This has been in the works since 2007 and PEC 28 – as this bill in known – has undergone several revisions.

There are drawbacks, however, and not every member of the congress is ready to jump on board this plan.

“In a State with a structure that consumes 40 percent of GDP, there is no space for a new council, more posts, more daily expenses, more wages,” said Diogo Ringenberg, the president of the National Association of Auditing Public Attorneys.

President of the Association of the Members of the Courts of Auditors of Brazil, Antonio Joaquim, said the amendment would create a “bizarre” situation because it would have people that are not part of the Judiciary branch being a part of the national council on justice.

The bill is still being debated and Brazilian lawyers will be waiting for an outcome that could shake things up.