Filipa Urbano Calvão, president of the Court of Auditors (Tribunal de Contas or TdC), has warned she may appeal to the Constitutional Court regarding proposed reforms to the institution. Calvão argues that certain provisions in the government's draft law are unconstitutional and should be subject to rigorous legal scrutiny. The reform, approved by the Council of Ministers in April, remains under parliamentary discussion.
Court of Auditors president threatens constitutional challenge
Saturday, 3 October 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
The TdC (Tribunal de Contas) is the Court of Auditors, an independent body responsible for overseeing public spending and ensuring the legality of state financial management. It performs prior audits on high-value public contracts to prevent misuse of funds before they are finalized.
The Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) is Portugal's highest court for constitutional review. Its primary role is to assess whether laws, decrees, and government actions comply with the Portuguese Constitution, and it has the power to strike down or suspend unconstitutional measures.
The court consists of 13 judges — 10 appointed by the Assembly of the Republic and 3 co-opted by the other judges. It also oversees the legality of political parties and their finances, verifies election results, and rules on the constitutionality of referendums.
The Constitutional Court is frequently in the news when opposition parties, the President, or the Ombudsman refer controversial legislation for review — such as labor reforms, housing laws, or immigration policy changes. Its rulings are final and binding.
4 sources
- President of the Court of Auditors threatens to appeal to the Constitutional Courtobservador.pt ·
- President of the Court of Auditors admits appealing to the Constitutional Court over rules deemed unconstitutionalcmjornal.pt ·
- Reform of the Court of Auditors' Organization and Procedure Law: President of the Court of Auditors admits appealing to the Constitutional Courtrtp.pt ·
- President of the Court of Auditors willing to take the reform of this body to the Constitutional Courtpublico.pt ·
