| ADI 4277 and ADPF 132 | |
|---|---|
| Court | Supreme Court of Brazil |
| Full case name | ADI 4277 (ATTORNEY GENERAL v. NATIONAL CONGRESS) and ADPF 132 (GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO v. COURTS OF JUSTICE OF THE STATES) |
| Date decided | May 5, 2011 |
| Citation(s) | Supreme Court of Brazil recognizes same-sex civil unions in the country |
| Judge(s) sitting |
Chief Justice Rapporteur Justice Associate Justices Carmen Lúcia Antunes Rocha, Ellen Gracie Northfleet, Enrique Ricardo Lewandowski, Gilmar Ferreira Mendes, Joaquim Barbosa, José Celso de Mello, Luiz Fux, Marco Aurélio Mello |
ADI 4277 and ADPF 132 (May 5, 2011), is a landmark Brazil Supreme Court case. In the 10-0 ruling, the justices recognized unanimously the de facto recognition for same-sex couples relationships, by judging the Direct Unconstitutionality Action (Ação Direta de Inconstitucionalidade - ADI) 4277 and the Allegation of Disobedience of Fundamental Precept (Arguição de Descumprimento de Preceito Fundamental - ADPF) 132.[1]
The Brazilian plenary hearing was conducted in two plenum sessions on May 4th and 5th. In the first session, the rapporteur, Justice Mr. Ayres Britto, voted to give the Federal Constitution an interpretation that would exclude any meaning of article 1723 of the Brazilian Civil Code that prevents the recognition of marriage between same-sex as the family.
Britto argued that Article 3.IV of the Constitution prohibits any discrimination on grounds of sex, race, color, and in that sense, nobody can be decreased or discriminated against because of their sexual preference. "The sex of individuals does not lend itself to legal inequality," noted the Justice.
Prior to the decision, the Brazilian Chief Prosecutor and the governor of Rio de Janeiro, the Attorney General of Brazil, and lawyers from various entities, were admitted as amici curiae ("friends of the court").
The Supreme Court interpreted the Constitution to exclude any meaning of article 1723 of the Civil Code that prevents the recognition of marriage between persons of same-sex.
Contents |
After of the decision of the Supreme Court, the same 112 rights of opposite-couples were to same-sex couples too, including the most important:[2]
| Supreme Court members | Ministers | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Cezar Peluso | 1 | 1 | |
| Carlos Ayres Britto | 1 | 1 | |
| Carmen Lúcia Antunes Rocha | 1 | 1 | |
| Gilmar Ferreira Mendes | 1 | 1 | |
| José Celso de Mello | 1 | 1 | |
| Marco Aurélio Mello | 1 | 1 | |
| Ellen Gracie Northfleet | 1 | 1 | |
| Joaquim Benedito Barbosa Gomes | 1 | 1 | |
| Enrique Ricardo Lewandowski | 1 | 1 | |
| Luiz Fux | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Attorney General of Brazil | Prosecutor | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberto Gurgel | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Solicitor-General of Brazil | Solicitor General | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luís Inácio Adams | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Amici curiae (Support for ADPF 132 and ADI 4277) (13) | Conectas Direitos Humanos | Associação Brasileira de Gays, Lésbicas e Transgêneros (ABGLT) | Associação de Incentivo à Educação e Saúde de São Paulo | Instituto Brasileiro de Direito de Família (IBDFAM) | Grupo Arco-Íris de Conscientização Homossexual | Sociedade Brasileira de Direito Público (SBDP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grupo Gay da Bahia (GGB) | Instituto de Bioética, Direitos Humanos e Gênero (ANIS) | Grupo de Estudos em Direito Internacional da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (GEDI - UFMG) | Associação de Travestis e Transexuais de Minas Gerais (ASSTRAV) | Centro de Luta pela Livre Orientação Sexual (CELLOS) | Centro de Referência de Gays, Lésbicas, Bissexuais, Travestis, Transsexuais e Transgêneros do Estado de Minas Gerais (Centro de Referência GLBTTT) | Escritório de Direitos Humanos do Estado de Minas Gerais (EDH) |
| Amici curiae
(Against ADPF 132 and ADI 4277) (2) |
Associação Eduardo Banks | Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil (CNBB) |
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