Latest news and stories about criminal law in Portugal for expats and residents.
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The PSD proposes suspending the statute of limitations for criminal proceedings when the defendant changes lawyers, in order to prevent dilatory tactics and delays in the justice system.
The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) proposed a law to suspend the statute of limitations (prazos de prescrição) when a defendant changes lawyers. The move aims to prevent “dilatory maneuvers” used to delay trials, citing the long-running case of former Prime Minister José Sócrates as an example. Those following the legal system should note the proposal targets the “carousel” of lawyer resignations that can lead to cases expiring.
José Sócrates is a former Portuguese Prime Minister who led the Socialist Party government from 2005 to 2011. He has been a central figure in high-profile legal cases linked to Operation Marquês, and recent reports say he plans to complain to the UN about Portugal's justice system.
Assistants in the case argue for the application of an effective prison sentence
The defendants had already been sentenced to prison, but the Porto Court of Appeal ordered a retrial.
The defendants had already been sentenced to prison, but the Porto Court of Appeal ordered a retrial.
Can artificial intelligence (AI) be considered an accomplice, as a form of participation, in the commission of a criminal offence? The question may seem paradoxical, since AI systems do not possess legal personality that would allow for the imputation of criminal liability through the regime of complicity. However, recent cases demonstrate that the answer requires...
A 52-year-old man was tried and convicted of aggravated rape and of sexual abuse of children.
“There is a history of serious criminal conduct and an escalation, in this latest period, of offences that incite hatred,” the judge observed.
The case arose after a complaint filed by Eva Cruzeiro against Chega deputy Filipe Melo. José Aguiar-Branco argues that 'ethical reprehensibility' does not imply a 'criminal offence'.
