People · Judges

Teori Zavascki

Teori Albino Zavascki

Justice of the STF from 2012 until his death in January 2017; rapporteur of the Lava Jato cases at the court.

Being in this archive does not mean having committed any wrongdoing. Procedural status: see each case and episode, with date.

Positions and roles

Federal appellate judge at the TRF4 · TRF4 (1989-03-30–2003-05)
Sources (1)
Teori Zavascki was a TRF4 appeals judge (took office on March 30, 1989; presided over the court from June 21, 2001 to May 7, 2003), STJ justice from May 8, 2003 to November 29, 2012 and STF justice from November 29, 2012 to January 19, 2017, when he died in a plane crash near Paraty (RJ); he was the Lava Jato rapporteur at the STF.
News reportSingle source
Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Career and Death · open original ↗
Justice of the STJ · STJ (2003-05-08–2012-11-29)
Sources (1)
Teori Zavascki was a TRF4 appeals judge (took office on March 30, 1989; presided over the court from June 21, 2001 to May 7, 2003), STJ justice from May 8, 2003 to November 29, 2012 and STF justice from November 29, 2012 to January 19, 2017, when he died in a plane crash near Paraty (RJ); he was the Lava Jato rapporteur at the STF.
News reportSingle source
Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Career and Death · open original ↗
Justice of the STF and Lava Jato rapporteur · STF (2012-11-29–2017-01-19)
Sources (2)
Teori Zavascki was a TRF4 appeals judge (took office on March 30, 1989; presided over the court from June 21, 2001 to May 7, 2003), STJ justice from May 8, 2003 to November 29, 2012 and STF justice from November 29, 2012 to January 19, 2017, when he died in a plane crash near Paraty (RJ); he was the Lava Jato rapporteur at the STF.
News reportSingle source
Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Career and Death · open original ↗
According to the entry, Teori approved Alberto Youssef's plea agreement on December 19, 2014 and Delcídio do Amaral's on March 15, 2016, authorized on March 6, 2015 an inquiry against 47 politicians and removed Eduardo Cunha from his seat on May 5, 2016.
Judicial or administrative decisionSingle source
Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Plea agreements · open original ↗

Cases

Claim 23.457 (STF) — release of the Lula–Dilma conversations — rapporteur · status as of Oct. 24, 2026: Rapporteur's decision of June 13, 2016; we did not verify finality or later appeals.

Episodes

Interception and release of the Lula–Dilma conversation (March 16, 2016)

Statements (2)

está juridicamente comprometida, não só em razão da usurpação de competência, mas também, de maneira ainda mais clara, pelo levantamento de sigilo das conversações telefônicas interceptadas

Portal translation: is legally compromised, not only because of the usurpation of jurisdiction, but also, even more clearly, because of the lifting of secrecy over the intercepted telephone conversations

Teori Zavascki · June 13, 2016 · Sentence · Supreme Federal Court (STF) — Complaint (Reclamação) 23.457/PR

Context, original and sources →

Foi também precoce e, pelo menos parcialmente, equivocada a decisão que adiantou juízo de validade das interceptações, colhidas, em parte importante, sem abrigo judicial, quando já havia determinação de interrupção das escutas.

Portal translation: The decision that advanced a judgment on the validity of the interceptions was also premature and, at least partially, mistaken, since they were collected, in important part, without judicial cover, when there was already an order to stop the wiretaps.

Teori Zavascki · June 13, 2016 · Sentence · Supreme Federal Court (STF) — Complaint (Reclamação) 23.457/PR

Context, original and sources →

Documented links

Teori Zavascki judged Sergio Moro: Teori Zavascki overturned, in Rcl 23.457, Moro's decisions that lifted the secrecy of the Lula–Dilma conversations.
Sources (1)
On June 13, 2016, Teori Zavascki granted Rcl 23.457 in part: he recognized the violation of the STF's jurisdiction and set aside the 13th Court's decisions of March 16, 2016 (event 135) and March 17, 2016 (event 140) that lifted secrecy over the conversations; he recognized the nullity of the content of the conversations captured after the order to stop the interceptions; and ordered returned to the 13th Court the cases that did not involve authorities with special forum.
Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document
Source: Reclamação 23.457/PR — decisão do Min. Teori Zavascki (13/06/2016) — Supreme Federal Court, June 13, 2016 · pp. 20-22, item 15 · open original ↗
Teori Zavascki relationship with Alberto Youssef: Approved Alberto Youssef's plea agreement in December 2014 (December 19, 2014 according to Teori's entry).
Sources (2)
According to the entry, Teori approved Alberto Youssef's plea agreement on December 19, 2014 and Delcídio do Amaral's on March 15, 2016, authorized on March 6, 2015 an inquiry against 47 politicians and removed Eduardo Cunha from his seat on May 5, 2016.
Judicial or administrative decisionSingle source
Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Plea agreements · open original ↗
The STF (Teori Zavascki) approved Youssef's plea agreement in December 2014 (December 19, 2014 according to the entry on Teori) and, in August 2015, the full court unanimously recognized the validity of the testimony and evidence; the sentences, which totaled 122 years, were reduced to three years because of the cooperation.
News reportSingle source
Source: Alberto Youssef (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Plea agreement · open original ↗
Teori Zavascki relationship with Eduardo Cunha: Removed Eduardo Cunha from his seat as deputy and from the presidency of the Chamber on May 5, 2016, a decision confirmed unanimously by the STF full court (Plenary).
Sources (1)
The STF (Teori Zavascki, later confirmed unanimously by the full court) removed Cunha from his seat on May 5, 2016; the Chamber of Deputies revoked his mandate on September 12, 2016 for breach of decorum (450 votes in favor, 10 against, 9 abstentions), for having lied to the Petrobras CPI about foreign accounts.
News reportSingle source
Source: Eduardo Cunha (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Removal and revocation · open original ↗
Teori Zavascki relationship with Renato Duque: Revoked Renato Duque's detention on December 2, 2014 (according to Duque's entry).
Sources (1)
Duque was arrested in November 2014 (Teori Zavascki revoked the arrest on December 2, 2014), again in March 2015 (10th phase) and, after a July 18, 2024 order from the Federal Court in Curitiba, was arrested by the PF on August 17, 2024 in Volta Redonda (RJ), after being considered a fugitive since July 2024.
News reportSingle source
Source: Renato Duque (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Arrest · open original ↗
Teori Zavascki worked for TRF4: Appellate judge (desembargador) at the TRF4 since March 30, 1989 and its president from June 21, 2001 to May 7, 2003.
Sources (1)
Teori Zavascki was a TRF4 appeals judge (took office on March 30, 1989; presided over the court from June 21, 2001 to May 7, 2003), STJ justice from May 8, 2003 to November 29, 2012 and STF justice from November 29, 2012 to January 19, 2017, when he died in a plane crash near Paraty (RJ); he was the Lava Jato rapporteur at the STF.
News reportSingle source
Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Career and Death · open original ↗

See on the map

Evidence mentioning Teori Zavascki

The preliminary injunction was granted on March 22, 2016 and endorsed by the Plenary on March 31, 2016, ordering the suspension and the referral to the STF of the request to break secrecy 5006205-98.2016.4.04.7000/PR and other proceedings.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: Reclamação 23.457/PR — decisão do Min. Teori Zavascki (13/06/2016) — Supreme Federal Court, June 13, 2016 · p. 3 · open original ↗

Teori Zavascki's decision transcribes the review made by the Curitiba court itself: the interruption of the interception was ordered on March 16, 2016, at 11:12:22, and, between the decision and its implementation with the carriers, a new dialogue was captured at 13:32, filed by the police authority.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: Reclamação 23.457/PR — decisão do Min. Teori Zavascki (13/06/2016) — Supreme Federal Court, June 13, 2016 · pp. 16-17, item 10 · open original ↗

The decision records, in reproducing a ground of the preliminary injunction, that no judgment was being made in advance on the legitimacy of the interception itself, but that the immediate public release of the conversations was being criticized.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: Reclamação 23.457/PR — decisão do Min. Teori Zavascki (13/06/2016) — Supreme Federal Court, June 13, 2016 · p. 16 · open original ↗

On June 13, 2016, Teori Zavascki granted Rcl 23.457 in part: he recognized the violation of the STF's jurisdiction and set aside the 13th Court's decisions of March 16, 2016 (event 135) and March 17, 2016 (event 140) that lifted secrecy over the conversations; he recognized the nullity of the content of the conversations captured after the order to stop the interceptions; and ordered returned to the 13th Court the cases that did not involve authorities with special forum.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: Reclamação 23.457/PR — decisão do Min. Teori Zavascki (13/06/2016) — Supreme Federal Court, June 13, 2016 · pp. 20-22, item 15 · open original ↗

The STF news item of June 13, 2016 reports that Teori ordered the cases in which Lula is under investigation sent to the first-instance court, set aside the decisions of March 16 and March 17, 2016 and annulled the content of the conversations recorded after the order to stop.

Judicial or administrative decisionSeveral independent sources

Source: STF envia investigações contra Lula para primeira instância — Supreme Federal Court, June 13, 2016 · body of the news item · open original ↗

In an official letter to the STF, sent on March 29, 2016 at the request of Teori Zavascki, Moro asked the Court for 'respectful apologies' for the decision of March 16, 2016 and stated that it was not his intention to cause such effects.

StatementSeveral independent sources

Source: Moro pede desculpas ao STF e diz que liberação de grampos não teve cunho político — Migalhas, Mar. 29, 2016 · excerpts of the letter reproduced · open original ↗

In reviewing his order, cited in Teori's decision, Moro wrote that he had not previously noticed the point of the 13:32 dialogue and did not see greater relevance in it, maintaining what he had decided.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: Reclamação 23.457/PR — decisão do Min. Teori Zavascki (13/06/2016) — Supreme Federal Court, June 13, 2016 · pp. 16-17, item 10 · open original ↗

Conjur reports that Teori described Moro's earlier decision as premature and at least partly mistaken, and ordered the cases on the Atibaia ranch and the Guarujá apartment sent to the first-instance court; he denied requests from attorney Roberto Teixeira.

News reportSingle source

Source: Teori descarta grampos de Lula como prova e envia caso a Moro — Consultor Jurídico, June 13, 2016 · body of the article · open original ↗

The STF (Teori Zavascki, later confirmed unanimously by the full court) removed Cunha from his seat on May 5, 2016; the Chamber of Deputies revoked his mandate on September 12, 2016 for breach of decorum (450 votes in favor, 10 against, 9 abstentions), for having lied to the Petrobras CPI about foreign accounts.

News reportSingle source

Source: Eduardo Cunha (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Removal and revocation · open original ↗

Duque was arrested in November 2014 (Teori Zavascki revoked the arrest on December 2, 2014), again in March 2015 (10th phase) and, after a July 18, 2024 order from the Federal Court in Curitiba, was arrested by the PF on August 17, 2024 in Volta Redonda (RJ), after being considered a fugitive since July 2024.

News reportSingle source

Source: Renato Duque (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Arrest · open original ↗

The STF (Teori Zavascki) approved Youssef's plea agreement in December 2014 (December 19, 2014 according to the entry on Teori) and, in August 2015, the full court unanimously recognized the validity of the testimony and evidence; the sentences, which totaled 122 years, were reduced to three years because of the cooperation.

News reportSingle source

Source: Alberto Youssef (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Plea agreement · open original ↗

Teori Zavascki was a TRF4 appeals judge (took office on March 30, 1989; presided over the court from June 21, 2001 to May 7, 2003), STJ justice from May 8, 2003 to November 29, 2012 and STF justice from November 29, 2012 to January 19, 2017, when he died in a plane crash near Paraty (RJ); he was the Lava Jato rapporteur at the STF.

News reportSingle source

Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Career and Death · open original ↗

According to the entry, Teori approved Alberto Youssef's plea agreement on December 19, 2014 and Delcídio do Amaral's on March 15, 2016, authorized on March 6, 2015 an inquiry against 47 politicians and removed Eduardo Cunha from his seat on May 5, 2016.

Judicial or administrative decisionSingle source

Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Plea agreements · open original ↗

As Prosecutor General, Janot asked in June 2016 for the arrest of Renan Calheiros, Romero Jucá, José Sarney and Eduardo Cunha (Teori Zavascki denied it), delivered to the STF on December 19, 2016 the agreements of 77 Odebrecht executives and, according to the entry, 137 investigations were opened at the STF under his tenure.

News reportSingle source

Source: Rodrigo Janot (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Lava Jato · open original ↗

After the death of Teori Zavascki, Edson Fachin was drawn as the new Lava Jato rapporteur at the STF on February 2, 2017; in April 2017 he lifted secrecy over 83 inquiries based on the Odebrecht plea agreements.

News reportSingle source

Source: Operação Lava Jato (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Actions at the STF · open original ↗