RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil's Supreme Court is meeting to decide if former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva can be his successor's chief of staff.
The justices began their deliberations just three days after the lower house voted to begin impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff. She's accused of using accounting tricks in managing the federal budget.
Rousseff appointed Silva to the post on March 16 to help her battle the impeachment effort.
But a Supreme Court judge suspended Silva's nomination to the Cabinet post, saying it was a clear attempt to shield him from possible detention in corruption probes. Under Brazilian law only the Supreme Court can authorize the investigation, imprisonment and trial of Cabinet members and legislators.
The final decision is up to the full court.
