Latest news and stories about judicial process in Portugal for expats and residents.
The judicial impasse preventing the trial of Duarte Lima continues. The Brazilian Attorney General's Office guarantees that the data has already been sent, but Portuguese authorities still lack full access to the files.
The defendant argues that the right to the presumption of innocence was compromised by the court itself, as well as the duty of impartiality.
The trial of the 14-year-old boy accused of killing his mother, Vagos city councillor Susana Gravato, will resume on April 10. The delay follows the inability to secure the attendance of two remaining witnesses, scheduling conflicts for the defence lawyers, and the Easter break. The minor is being tried behind closed doors under an Educational Guardianship Process for qualified homicide. During Wednesday's session, the court heard from the child psychiatrist and psychologist who authored the case reports, as well as several witnesses, including Judicial Police agents and staff from the educational centre where the youth is being held. The trial is closed to the public and media, though the final decision will be read publicly. The youth is currently in a closed-regime educational centre, and the Public Prosecutor has requested the most severe educational measure: internment. The incident occurred on October 21, 2025, at the family home in Gafanha da Vagueira, Vagos.
The trial is scheduled for March 25th at the Aveiro Family and Juvenile Court. Susana Gravato was a councillor at the end of her term at the Vagos City Council.
The presiding judge maintains the pace of three sessions per week until the end of the year, interrupting the work schedule only for judicial holiday periods.
The suspect allegedly devised a “criminal plan” aimed at the “deprivation of liberty” of the victim and the appropriation of his valuables.
Four defendants had been arrested on Tuesday and were released this Sunday. They will learn of their coercive measures on Tuesday.
The Public Prosecutor's Office did not request any coercive measures that would restrict their freedom.
Can artificial intelligence (AI) be held responsible for a hallucination due to its improper use during a judicial process?
The man is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the judicial authorities of Peru.
Court-appointed lawyers assigned to mega-trials will now have access to a tool containing highly complex procedural information. Known as the Electronic Procedural Information Management System (SEGIP), the platform was previously unavailable to these lawyers. Developed by the High Council of the Magistracy (CSM), the tool helps organize and analyze procedural data, integrating facts, evidence, and parties involved to facilitate faster and more structured case management. This initiative, supported by both the CSM and the Bar Association (OA), aims to improve working conditions in complex cases, such as the ongoing Operation Marquês, where short preparation times have been a point of contention for lawyers defending José Sócrates. Bar Association President João Massano and CSM Vice-President Luís Azevedo Mendes both emphasized that the tool is essential for ensuring a fair defense and the efficient functioning of the courts.
In the letter, Sócrates also criticises the alleged intervention of the High Council of the Judiciary in a process which, he says, falls exclusively under the remit of the Bar Association, and directly attacks the statements made by the president of the Bar Association, João Massano.
The young man will be tried behind closed doors, and an informative note regarding the proceedings will be issued at the end of the session.
On Wednesday, the PJ dismantled a criminal drug trafficking network operating via maritime routes to Europe, arrested eight people, and seized approximately 1,800 kilograms of cocaine.
The trial of Bruno Pinto continues with testimony from officers. The prosecutor questioned the officers' concern with the security perimeter but not with preserving the crime scene.
Two defendants initially requested one year to submit their applications, while the Public Prosecutor's Office did not oppose a total period of five months. The judge granted slightly more time, but the deadline already began on February 22nd.
According to a source from the Public Prosecutor's Office, the authorities will appeal the decision not to try the police officers accused of lying in the case of Odair Moniz's death. PSP officers claimed that Odair was carrying a knife.
The two PSP officers accused by the Public Prosecution Service of perjury were cleared on 16 February due to a lack of evidence
