Felix Fischer, a prominent retired minister and former president of Brazil's Superior Court of Justice (STJ), has died at the age of 78. His passing occurred in Brasília, where a wake is scheduled to take place at the STJ on Thursday, followed by burial at Campo da Esperança cemetery. Fischer had been hospitalized at the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital for medical monitoring, but the cause of his death has not been disclosed by the court.

Fischer retired from the court in August 2022, marked by a tribute session that celebrated his influential career and frequent citations in the jurisprudence and legal literature of Brazil. He was known for his significant contributions to criminal law and was a key figure in several high-profile cases, including the Operation Lava Jato, where he voted for the conviction of former President Lula under corruption charges in 2018. His career has had a lasting impact on Brazilian law and justice.

In addition to his involvement in the Lava Jato operation, Fischer was also the lead judge in the Têmis operation, which targeted a criminal organization that sold judicial sentences to defraud the Federal Revenue. His work has been integral in shaping Brazil's legal landscape, and his death marks the loss of a significant figure in the country’s judicial history.