To the surprise of no one, Brazil’s Supreme Court is being drawn into the fight over the country’s main forest-protection law. Congress approved an overhaul of the 1965 Forest Code last May, and in October President Dilma Rousseff signed two measures to address key outstanding issues. (See “Ruralistas’ prevail in Brazil’s Forest Code battle”—EcoAméricas, Oct. ’12). But few thought Congress and the president would have the last word. Most observers said the fight over the Forest Code, viewed as one of the most important environmental-policy battles in recent decades in Brazil, would move to the high court. That forecast has proved correct. On Jan. 21, Brazil’s acting Attorney General, Sandra Cureau, filed three lawsuits with the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of... [Log in to read more]