Departures of note

Marcos Antônio Souto Maior was a Brazilian magistrate who spent his career in the judiciary of the state of Paraíba, rising to the rank of desembargador (appellate judge) of the Tribunal de Justiça da Paraíba (TJPB). He served as president of the court during the 2001–2003 biennium, leading the state's highest judicial body. In 2002 he also assumed the government of Paraíba on an interim basis on five occasions, stepping into the role of acting governor. After retiring from the bench, he remained a respected figure in the state's legal community. His death at age 80 in João Pessoa was confirmed by his family and by the court itself, and the Associação dos Magistrados da Paraíba issued a note of condolence honoring his service to the judiciary.