Ficha Limpa

Lei da Ficha Limpa (English: Clean Record Act) or Complementary Law no. 135 of 2010 is a Brazilian act that amended the Conditions of Ineligibility Act (Complementary Law no. 64 of 1990). It was the fourth bill proposed by direct people's initiative as law in Brazil.^[1] It was devised by Judge Marlon Reis and received about 1.3 million signatures before being submitted to the National Congress.^[2] The act makes a candidate who has been impeached, has resigned to avoid impeachment, or been convicted by a decision of a collective body (with more than one judge) ineligible to hold public office for eight years, even if possible appeals remain.^[3]

The project was approved in the Chamber of Deputies on May 5, 2010, and by the Federal Senate on May 19, 2010, by unanimous vote. It was sanctioned by the President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and became the Supplementary Law no. 135 of June 4, 2010.^[4] In February 2012, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) deemed the law constitutional and valid for the next elections to be held in Brazil, which was considered a victory for the position advocated by the Superior Electoral Court in the 2010 elections.^[3]