| Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito | |
| Office: | Supreme Federal Court Justice |
| Term Start: | September 5, 2007 |
| Term End: | September 1, 2009 |
| Appointer: | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva[1] |
| Predecessor: | Sepúlveda Pertence |
| Successor: | Dias Toffoli |
| Birth Date: | September 8, 1942 |
| Birth Place: | Belém, Brazil |
| Death Place: | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Spouse: | Wanda Vianna Direito |
| Children: | Luciana Maria, Carlos Alberto and Carlos Gustavo |
Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito (September 8, 1942 – September 1, 2009) was a Brazilian judge who sat on the Supreme Federal Court, the highest court of law in Brazil, from his appointment in 2007 until his death in 2009.[2]
Direito received his law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in 1965. He served as a judge on the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) until 2007.[2]
Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito was nominated to the Supreme Federal Court, the highest court in Brazil, by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2007.[2] Direito replaced former Supreme Federal Court Justice Sepúlveda Pertence.[2]
Direito was hospitalized in 2009 and underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his pancreas at Hospital Samaritano in Rio de Janeiro.[2] The surgery was reported to be successful.[2] However, he was re-admitted to the Hospital Samaritano's intensive-care unit on Saturday, August 29, 2009, and placed on a ventilator.[2]
Judge Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito died of pancreatic cancer at the Hospital Samaritana in Rio de Janeiro on September 1, 2009, at the age of 66.[2] [3] His death created a vacancy on the Supreme Federal Court. The Brazilian flags around the country stayed at half mast for three days following his death.