Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito
Judge Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito in 2007
Justice Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito in 2007
Supreme Federal Court Justice
In office
September 5, 2007 – September 1, 2009
Appointed byLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva[1]
Preceded bySepúlveda Pertence
Succeeded byDias Toffoli
Personal details
Born(1942-09-08)September 8, 1942
Belém, Brazil
DiedSeptember 1, 2009(2009-09-01) (aged 66)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
SpouseWanda Vianna Direito
ChildrenLuciana Maria, Carlos Alberto and Carlos Gustavo

Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito (September 8, 1942 – September 1, 2009) was a Brazilian judge who sat on the Supreme Federal Court, the highest court of law in Brazil, from his appointment in 2007 until his death in 2009.[2]

Direito received his law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in 1965. He served as a judge on the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) until 2007.[2]

Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito was nominated to the Supreme Federal Court, the highest court in Brazil, by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2007.[2] Direito replaced former Supreme Federal Court Justice Sepúlveda Pertence.[2]

Direito was hospitalized in 2009 and underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his pancreas at Hospital Samaritano in Rio de Janeiro.[2] The surgery was reported to be successful.[2] However, he was re-admitted to the Hospital Samaritano's intensive-care unit on Saturday, August 29, 2009, and placed on a ventilator.[2]

Judge Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito died of pancreatic cancer at the Hospital Samaritana in Rio de Janeiro on September 1, 2009, at the age of 66.[2][3] His death created a vacancy on the Supreme Federal Court. The Brazilian flags around the country stayed at half mast for three days following his death.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ STF website. Archived 2014-04-29 at the Wayback Machine (in Portuguese)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Morre, aos 66 anos, ministro do STF Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito". Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese). 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  3. ^ Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito, 1942 - 2009
Legal offices Preceded bySepúlveda Pertence Judge of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil 2007–2009 Succeeded byDias Toffoli