The Supreme Court resumes judgment of the Black Lives ADPF
The Supreme Court resumes analysis of a case denouncing structural violations against the Black population
Brasília (DF), 25/11/2025 - Marcha das Mulheres Negras, realizada na Esplanada dos Ministérios. Foto: Bruno Peres/Agência Brasil
On Wednesday (26), the Supreme Federal Court (STF) resumes judgment of ADPF 973—known as the Black Lives ADPF—which could lead to the recognition of structural racism as a State of Unconstitutional Affairs in Brazil. The session will focus on the reading of the report and on oral arguments by the parties and organizations participating in the case.
The case, proposed by seven political parties in 2022, was prompted by the Black Coalition for Rights and points to systematic violations resulting from police violence, the mass incarceration of Black youth, and a lack of effective policies to guarantee rights. Among the measures requested is the creation of a national plan to address institutional racism and the policy of death affecting the Black population.
Since it was docketed, the ADPF has undergone procedural stages that included requests for information from the Executive Branch, submissions by the Office of the Solicitor General and the Office of the Prosecutor General, as well as the admission of dozens of organizations as amicus curiae, among them Conectas, in November 2023. The case reached the plenary in the same month, when the first oral arguments were heard. However, the trial was suspended following the widespread participation of civil society organizations.
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Returned to the docket by the Supreme Court’s presidency, ADPF 973 was rescheduled for 26 November and again received submissions and petitions in the weeks leading up to the session. With the resumption of proceedings, the Court will decide whether the set of violations presented—including growing police lethality, ongoing racial inequality, and state omissions—represents a state of structural collapse in the protection of the fundamental rights of the Black population.
Anti-racism movements from across the country are following the session both inside and outside the Supreme Court. The mobilization is taking place one day after the Black Women’s March and is part of an agenda to push for structural responses from the Brazilian state.
Conectas, who are taking part in the case as amicus curiae, are working in coordination with the Black Coalition for Rights, Black women’s organizations, and various collectives. According to the organization, the trial is a significant step towards addressing institutional racism and guaranteeing the protection of Black lives.
