Sérgio Hornai takes office as Minister of Justice
Today, February 15th, 2024, the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, swore in Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai as the new Minister of Justice of the 9th Constitutional Government in a ceremony held at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace in Dili.
Sérgio Hornai succeeds Amândio de Sá Benevides, who passed away on January 20th. 
The new Minister of Justice has already held several public positions, including General Public Defender between 2009 and 2018, State Counsellor and Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (CAC – acronym in Portuguese) between 2019 and 2023
Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão reasoned his choice of Sérgio Hornai on the grounds of his “vast experience in the justice sector”, considering him the right person to lead “the reform of a sector that is still fragile”.
Sérgio Hornai vowed to “loyally fulfil the functions in which [he is] invested, to comply with and enforce the constitution and the laws, and to devote all [his] energies and abilities to the defence of the consolidation of independence and national unity”. 
The President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, began his speech at the ceremony by paying tribute “with great sadness at the passing of Minister [of Justice Amândio de Sá] Benevides, who rendered valuable service to the country throughout his life and in particular as Minister of Justice”.
The Head of State said he was grateful to swear in Sérgio Hornai “for the brilliant career in the justice sector that he has always carried out and shown as a Public Defender and President of the CAC”.
José Ramos-Horta said that Sérgio Hornai's task “is to establish the conditions to support the justice sector in all that is necessary” “so that all the servants of justice can carry out their duties in the greatest predictability, tranquillity, security and comfort”.
He also called on the new Minister of Justice to ensure that “one of the main priorities” of his mandate is to “strengthen, give full support, dignify the Public Defender's Office”, providing it with “greater support, greater attention”, given that the Public Defender's Office “in Timor-Leste, due to the country's social and economic conditions”, “occupies a much more important position”.
