Michel Temer on Pardon

Michel Temer, as President of Brazil, significantly addressed the concept of pardon primarily through issuing traditional Christmas pardons, most notably in December 2017. This decree drew widespread criticism because it reportedly broadened the scope to include those convicted of corruption-related crimes and offered more lenient terms, such as pardoning first-time offenders after serving only one-fifth of their sentence. Critics argued that this move undermined ongoing anti-graft investigations, like the Car Wash probe, and acted as an unconstitutional overreach of executive power intended to secure political support.

Separately, Temer also issued a decree that offered an amnesty on environmental crime fines, erasing up to 60 percent of the debt for offenders who paid the remaining portion into a government fund. While proponents suggested this could raise funds for environmental recovery, opponents viewed this measure, like the wider pardon, as political horse-trading to secure votes from powerful congressional caucuses, particularly those representing rural interests, to shield the president from corruption charges. The Supreme Court subsequently suspended parts of the Christmas pardon, signaling a judicial check on the executive's use of this power.