Brazil's senate rejects proposed constitutional amendment shielding legislators from criminal proceedings

The Brazilian Senate buried on Wednesday (24) the so-called “shielding bill”, a constitutional amendment that would have made it harder to open criminal proceedings against members of Congress and extended their legal protections to political party leaders. In a strong rebuke to the lower house, the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) unanimously rejected the proposal. Senate President Davi Alcolumbre (Brazil Union Party, Amapá) subsequently ordered the bill shelved. [ . . . ] The amendment would have required prior approval from either the Chamber or the Senate before criminal charges could be filed against lawmakers. That approval would have been granted through a secret vote.
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