Supreme Court

The ruling came on a request filed by investigators Sept. 11 who said they wanted to question Silva about possible involvement in the scheme. Under Brazilian law, all federal politicians and some at other levels can be investigated only if the Supreme Court approves the inquiry.

In a sharply divided 4-3 ruling, the court declared the death penalty violates the state's constitution, "no longer comports with contemporary standards of decency and no longer serves any legitimate penological purpose."

Last Friday, the Office of the Attorney General filed a civil action in the Supreme Court to declare Tapueluelu's nomination as a candidate unlawful because he had an alleged outstanding debt on the date of his nomination for the General Election in 2014.

The Acting Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions ‘Aminiasi Kefu said the civil action on October 23, 2014, and his subsequent election on November 27, 2014 as a People’s Representative for Tongatapu 4 electoral constituency, was unlawful and invalid.

The Supreme Court this week declared a decision by the newly-appointed speaker of parliament, Marcellino Pipite, to rule out the opposition's motion of no confidence against the new prime minister Sato Kilman, and ordered parliament to reconvene on Tuesday to hear it.