Sara Leitão Moreira, a lawyer based in Coimbra, has been appointed as the new defence counsel for former prime minister José Sócrates in Operation Marquês. She is the fourth lawyer to represent Sócrates since the investigation began; her predecessor João Araújo took the case in 2014 and has since died. According to court filings, Sara Leitão Moreira has formally asked for five months to review the complex case, a request that, if granted, would further delay proceedings and shape the defence’s ability to respond to prior rulings and evidence.