Government: Justice system news in Portugal

Reforming Justice

The author reflects on the persistent challenges of the Portuguese justice system, arguing that the goals of speed, deliberation, and accessibility are often in conflict. The text proposes balancing these objectives by introducing legal consequences for missed deadlines, reducing excessive formalities, and improving access for low-income citizens while curbing abusive litigation by wealthy parties. The author concludes that justice reform is a continuous, long-term process rather than a quick fix.

Defence only for the rich, conviction for the poor

Law no. 34/2026 introduces significant changes to the Criminal Procedure Code, creating a system where the ability to exercise defence rights is tied to economic status. By introducing fines for procedural acts deemed 'dilatory' without requiring proof of bad faith, and conditioning the right to appeal on the payment of these fines, the law effectively creates a two-tier justice system that discriminates against those with fewer financial resources.

The Bar Association calls for a review of the constitutionality of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure

The Bar Association (OA) will request the 19 entities with constitutional legitimacy to seek a successive abstract review of constitutionality, calling for the Constitutional Court to assess various norms that amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Penal Code, and the Regulation on Procedural Costs. The legislation enters into force on September 1st.

Fines of up to 10,200 euros for acts to delay proceedings come into force in September

The measure aims to speed up the processing of cases in the justice system and also allows for crimes with a sentence of more than five years in prison, where it is foreseeable that this limit will be exceeded, to be tried under summary proceedings, for which the possibilities of appeal are limited.

“They are all the same”, now also applied to the PJ and the justice system

By Carlos Rodrigues

Minister of Justice: Luís Neves is “managing the process in the best way he knows how”

In a reference to the Minister of Internal Administration and the explanations yet to be given, Rita Júdice guaranteed that she will not criticise “anyone” for deciding to speak only when they have “all the elements gathered”.

Minister of Justice says Luís Neves is “managing the process in the best way he knows how”

Rita Alarcão Júdice was speaking this Saturday on the sidelines of a ceremony in Caxias with prison guards. She stated that “the competent institutions are carrying out the necessary assessments” and that “all Portuguese people trust the Judiciary Police”.

Luís Neves is “managing the process in the best way he knows how”, says Minister of Justice

Rita Alarcão Júdice praised that “all Portuguese people trust the Judiciary Police” and stressed that “the role and image” that the institution has “is also largely due to the work of all its previous leaders”, in an indirect allusion to Luís Neves.

Punishment is not enough

Cases of recidivism among sexual offenders continue to be a problem. In Vagos, a suspect has attacked for the third time.

What if the justice system stopped taking holidays?

Suspending judicial activity for almost seven weeks a year, in a country where the justice system is criticised for being slow and distant from the citizen, is an anachronism.

After her husband's death, Ilda Lopes waited three years for a decision from the Public Prosecutor's Office

First part of 'Investigação CM', from July 20, 2026.

Grainne Dillon killer challenges refusal to be transferred to Portugal

The Irish Times20 Jul

Case resolution rate fell to 48% in 2024

The Commission asks Portugal to intensify efforts to make the system more efficient. They welcome progress in the regulation of lobbying.

facebook.com18 Jul

Justice: "Everything is the same, one only needs to look at the Ministry's inaction," accuses Fernando Negrão

Two years after the launch of the 50-year Manifesto, signed by dozens of public figures who demanded justice reform, “everything is the same.”

Spanish plea bargain is an example to follow

Luís Rosa and Paulo Saragoça da Matta analyse how the Spanish justice system is using plea bargains to successfully combat economic and financial crime. And more.

State ordered to pay 50,000 euros to defendant acquitted in the Tancos case

The Supreme Court of Justice (STJ) has ordered the State to pay 50,000 euros in compensation to one of the defendants acquitted in the Tancos arms depot robbery case, overturning a decision by the Lisbon Court of Appeal. The ruling, dated July 9 and consulted this Tuesday by Lusa, judged the action brought by...

Trial delays lead to the release of over 200 defendants from pre-trial detention

Approximately 226 defendants in pre-trial detention have been released over the last five years.

Victim lived with aggressor for 18 days due to a failure in the justice system

Prison service technicians visited the home, found the couple together, and failed to install electronic monitoring. They notified the court, but the information was lost between the Public Prosecutor's Office and the judge. No action was taken.

Portugal applied nearly 29,000 alternative sentencing measures to prison in 2024

According to official statistics from the Council of Europe, Portugal applied 28,903 non-custodial measures in 2024, making it one of the countries that most frequently uses suspended sentences. The SPACE II 2025 report highlights that these measures included community service, electronic monitoring, and probation, noting that such alternatives help with social reintegration and prison management.

The Bar Association should also have the key to the Constitutional Court

The initiative of the Lisbon Regional Council of the Bar Association, in advocating that the President of the Republic should request a preventive review of the recent amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, deserves agreement and recognition. It is a pertinent intervention, not only due to the specific matter under discussion, but also because of the principle it invokes, according to which the defence...

Compensate José Sócrates?

The problem is not with the decision, but with the functioning of the justice system.

When cameras arrive before Justice

Over the last 14 years, since the arrest of José Sócrates as part of Operation Marquês, one question has never been answered. How did the television stations know exactly where and when José Sócrates was going to be arrested that November night in 2014, at Lisbon airport? A guess? No. It was a leak of information. It was...

State compensation to Sócrates could open a Pandora's box in the justice system

There is a court victory for José Sócrates. The State has been ordered to pay 15,000 euros in compensation to the former prime minister for a breach of judicial secrecy. José Sócrates considers the ruling historic and highlights that it is the first time the State has been convicted for this reason. The Public Prosecutor's Office has already announced it will appeal the decision.

Public Prosecution Service to appeal against state's conviction to pay 15,000 euros to Sócrates

The Public Prosecution Service (MP) will appeal the Lisbon Administrative Court's ruling that ordered the Portuguese state to pay 15,000 euros in compensation to former Prime Minister José Sócrates for the mismanagement of justice in the Operation Marquês case, reports Expresso. The appeal is now set to be reviewed by the Central Administrative Court.

Are we going to pay Sócrates? Don't blame populism later

The PSD (which arranged a solution), the Ministry of Finance (which told us nothing), and our Justice system (which needs a radical change) are the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.