The impeachment of Supreme Court judges is an extremely rare event worldwide. In Brazil, there has never been an impeachment of any Supreme Federal Court minister throughout the country's history. In the United States, throughout the history of the American Supreme Court, there has been only one single impeachment proceeding against a judge, which occurred in 1804 and ended without the removal of the magistrate.
This rarity is largely due to the characteristics of legal systems that protect judicial independence. Judges of the high courts generally have life tenure or long terms of office, which makes the removal process something exceptional and reserved only for cases of serious misconduct or crimes.
The impeachment mechanisms were created to protect the judiciary against political pressures, but in practice they function as an additional barrier that makes the removal of magistrates more difficult. Even when there are impeachment attempts, the proceedings face significant procedural obstacles and frequently result in acquittal.
