An appellate judge in Brazil's northern state of Pará has come under scrutiny after comparing new limits on judicial perks to a "regime of slavery," a remark that quickly fed a wider national debate over high pay in the judiciary.
Eva do Amaral Coelho, a judge at the Pará Court of Justice (TJPA), made the statement during an April 9 session of the court's 3rd Criminal Law Panel. According to Metrópoles and Poder360, she said that after successive income losses, judges could soon join the ranks of workers living under "a regime of slavery." She also said some colleagues were struggling to pay medical bills and medication.
What Triggered the Dispute
The remarks came days after Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) moved to tighten rules on so-called penduricalhos, a catch-all term for extra payments and allowances that often sit outside the constitutional pay cap for public officials. The court ruled that indemnity-style benefits paid to judges and prosecutors should generally be limited to 35% of the public-sector ceiling, which is tied to the salary of STF justices.
Under the new framework, those payments are supposed to reimburse actual expenses rather than serve as a way to lift take-home pay. The STF also barred lower bodies from creating new benefits through local rules or administrative acts, saying any new compensation structure should come through federal legislation. Metrópoles reported that the court expects the change to save about R$ 7.3 billion a year.
The ruling is part of a broader effort to contain so-called "super salaries" in the judiciary and public prosecution service. Reporting by Metrópoles said judicial compensation had frequently exceeded the formal cap, with average monthly pay for judges reaching R$ 99,000 in 2025.
Pay and Perks Under Scrutiny
The controversy deepened because Amaral herself was reported to have earned well above the standard ceiling. Metrópoles said she received R$ 117,800 gross in March, while Poder360 reported R$ 91,000 for the same month, a difference that appears to reflect gross versus net pay rather than conflicting payroll data.
A separate Metrópoles report also said the Pará court provides judges with access to newly contracted hybrid cars and full-time drivers. Under that contract, the court is paying about R$ 544,000 a month for 40 vehicles and 40 drivers, with projected spending of more than R$ 32 million over five years. The outlet said the winning bid specified new hybrid vehicles, including a BYD King model priced at roughly R$ 175,000 (approximate conversion: about USD 35,000 at recent rates).
The TJPA justified the arrangement by saying appellate judges travel frequently for hearings, court sessions and other official duties inside and outside the court's headquarters.
Why It Resonated
The episode struck a nerve because it combined two politically sensitive issues in Brazil: the judiciary's unusually high compensation and public anger over elite benefits in a country with wide income inequality. Amaral said judges had been turned into "villains" and portrayed as people who earn too much for too little work. She argued that magistrates work long hours, including weekends, and deserve respect.
STF Chief Justice Edson Fachin has said the new rules are meant to bring order to the system with "rationality" and "fiscal responsibility," while still respecting the judiciary. For now, the case has become an early symbol of how difficult that balancing act may be as Brazil tries to rein in court pay without triggering institutional backlash.
Fonts: https://www.metropoles.com/colunas/tacio-lorran/desembargadora-que-reclamou-de-corte-em-penduricalhos-tem-carro-de-r-175-mil-pago-pelo-tribunal https://www.poder360.com.br/poder-justica/desembargadora-compara-corte-de-penduricalhos-a-regime-de-escravidao/ https://www.metropoles.com/colunas/manoela-alcantara/magistrada-reclama-do-corte-de-penduricalhos-regime-de-escravidao https://www.metropoles.com/colunas/manoela-alcantara/fachin-diz-que-penduricalhos-terao-regras-com-responsabilidade-fiscal https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/limite-de-35-para-penduricalhos-tenta-frear-supersalarios-no-judiciario
accessed on 21 April 2026