Ellen Gracie Northfleet

Ellen Gracie Northfleet is the former president of the Supreme Court of Brazil.

She has also served as a Federal Attorney, as a Judge of the Federal Court of Appeals, and Presiding Judge of the National Justice Council. She has been the author of an extensive range of decisions of national impact.

Justice Gracie has received some of the highest decorations and distinguished awards for her public service. She holds a law degree from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, undertook postgraduate studies in social anthropology at the same University, and has studied Administration of Justice at American University as a fellow of the Fulbright Program. She has been described as a major reformer of the Brazilian Judicial System, having worked for the adoption of computerized models for case filing and management; for the introduction of the Stare Decisis system in a Civil Law jurisdiction; and in the increased use of ADR.

She currently serves on the Legal Board of the Federation of Industries of São Paulo – FIESP and acts as vice-president of the Arbitration Chamber of that institution. She also serves on the board of several Brazilian companies and on the board of directors of the World Justice Project.

 

Northfleet joined the Dialogue as a Member in 2012.