MJAB Insights | New Relevance Filter at the STJ Regulated by Law No. 15,484/2026

The enactment of Bill No. 3,085/2026, converted into Law No. 15,484 of 4 August 2026, represents a milestone in the implementation of the relevance filter for special appeals provided for by Constitutional Amendment No. 125/2022. The new legislation regulates the criteria for demonstrating the relevance of questions of non-constitutional federal law submitted to the Superior Court of Justice (STJ).

The new regime seeks to enable the STJ to focus its activities on disputes with greater legal, economic, political or social impact, strengthening its constitutional role in ensuring consistent interpretation of federal legislation and reducing the consideration of appeals aimed exclusively at resolving the individual interests of the parties.

Law No. 15,484/2026 amends the Code of Civil Procedure to incorporate the rules concerning the relevance filter and regulate the requirement set out in Article 105, paragraph 2, of the Federal Constitution, according to which the appellant must demonstrate the relevance of the question of non-constitutional federal law addressed in the special appeal.

The regulation therefore consolidates a significant change in the system governing access to the STJ, bringing the Court’s activities closer to a model focused on the development and uniform application of precedents in matters that extend beyond the strictly individual interests at issue in the proceedings.

MJAB Insights: The regulation of the relevance filter represents a transformation in the STJ’s role, which is expected to consolidate its position as a precedent-setting court rather than functioning as a third-level court for reviewing individual disputes. For legal practitioners, the focus of special appeals will shift beyond demonstrating a violation of federal legislation to also establishing the relevance of the dispute. The success of the reform, however, will depend on the development of objective criteria by the Court, capable of balancing procedural efficiency, legal certainty and the effective uniform application of case law.