Latest news and stories about legal proceedings in Portugal for expats and residents.
The father of the two young children abandoned in Alcácer do Sal has broken his silence, expressing his pain and calling for moderation in public reactions to the case. The mother and her partner remain in custody in Portugal while awaiting trial, though legal experts suggest they may eventually face further proceedings in France for crimes committed there.
A judge has suspended the Secretary-General of the Lisbon City Council (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa), Alberto Laplaine Guimarães, as part of “Operation Lumen” (Operação Lúmen). The investigation targets alleged corruption and economic crimes related to municipal contracts for Christmas lighting across several councils. The court also imposed a 100,000 euro bail on a businessman involved and prohibited the defendants from contacting municipal staff. Residents in Lisbon and Alandroal should note the ongoing investigation into local government spending.
Alberto Laplaine Guimarães was the Secretary-General of the Lisbon City Council (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa), the city's highest-ranking administrative official. He was arrested in 2023 following investigations into alleged corruption surrounding public procurement contracts, specifically those for the city's Christmas lighting. Lisbon residents should note that this case has led to new demands for transparency in how the municipality awards large service contracts.
Former Economy Minister Manuel Pinho has appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justiça) against his 10-year prison sentence for corruption, money laundering, and tax fraud. Pinho was convicted in 2024 for allegedly receiving illegal payments from former banker Ricardo Salgado during his time in government. The appeal cites procedural flaws and statute of limitations issues, with the defense requesting either a full acquittal or a reduced sentence of seven and a half years. Residents following the long-running EDP case should note that the former minister remains under house arrest while the high court reviews the case.
Ricardo Salgado is the former chairman and CEO of Banco Espírito Santo (BES), the bank that collapsed in 2014 and triggered one of Portugal’s largest financial scandals. He has faced multiple criminal charges including fraud and money laundering, and recent appeal-court rulings ordering a new trial—despite reports about his Alzheimer’s—are important for anyone following accountability in Portugal’s banking sector.
Manuel Pinho is a former Portuguese Minister of Economy who served from 2005 to 2009 under the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista) government. In June 2024, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for passive corruption, money laundering, and tax fraud related to undeclared payments from the Espírito Santo Group (Grupo Espírito Santo). His case is one of several high-profile legal proceedings involving former government officials and the collapse of the Banco Espírito Santo banking empire.
The Portuguese Navy has reopened disciplinary proceedings against crew members who refused to board the NRP Mondego in 2023, following a Supreme Administrative Court ruling that annulled previous sanctions due to procedural errors.
Judge Susana Seca has ruled that lawyer Marco António Amarote must continue representing José Sócrates until a successor is appointed, preventing further delays in the Operation Marquês corruption trial.
Fidelidade rejected on Wednesday claims that it is refusing to compensate the victims and families affected by the Glória Funicular accident in Lisbon. In a statement, the insurance company asserts that it maintains its commitment to fair compensation for those affected and regrets that 'certain expressions' used in legal documents 'may have caused added suffering'.
At issue is part of Fidelidade's legal challenge regarding the 125,000 euro claim filed by the family of a victim for wrongful death, as the insurer considers the amount excessive based on the criteria for standardising the value of human life.
The suspect, considered mentally unfit to stand trial, is charged with the crimes of homicide and illegal possession of a weapon.
The 55 housing protesters arrested a week ago in Lisbon have until November 6 to decide whether they accept donating 150 euros to have the proceedings suspended or if they prefer to stand trial, said a source for the defence. Until November 6, the defendants will decide if they want to accept the provisional suspension of the proceedings.
It will be an 'individual decision' for each defendant to choose either the provisional suspension of the process—by paying 150 euros—or to go to trial. The solution proposed by the Public Prosecutor's Office is the same for all detainees.
Luís Rosa, Paulo Saragoça da Matta, and Raquel Brízida Castro analyse a lawsuit filed at the Lisbon Administrative Court by a protester requesting that the encampment in Rossio remains until the end of November.
The 55 housing protesters arrested a week ago in Lisbon have until November 6 to decide whether to agree to donate 150 euros to have the proceedings suspended or whether they prefer to stand trial, according to a source from the defence.
According to the Attorney General's Office, the defendants may have their case provisionally suspended, if they agree, or be sent to trial.
The detainees appeared in court at the Local Court of Petty Crimes in Porto. Furthermore, the Public Prosecutor's Office proposed the provisional suspension of the proceedings for all those arrested this weekend.
The six people detained following the PSP's intervention against the Porto encampment were released at 06:00 this Sunday.
The former prime minister alleges that suspicions without evidentiary basis regarding Parque Escolar unduly influenced the indictment of the case in which he has been on trial since July 2025.
A key witness in the trial of two PSP officers accused over the death of a Moroccan man in Olhão has told Faro court that he cannot remember the alleged The post Key witness ‘cannot recall’ alleged deadly police beating in Olhão appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Amadeu Guerra states that all solutions are being studied. The hearing for the 55 protesters has been postponed until Tuesday. Additionally, a new increase in petrol and diesel prices is expected.
The Public Prosecution Service will decide on Tuesday whether the housing protesters detained in Lisbon will face summary trial or, should they agree, have their proceedings suspended.
The PSP arrested 55 protesters who allegedly resisted when the security force removed the tents from the Lisbon Encampment.
Movement spokesperson, António Tonga, explains that the hearings for all demonstrators have been postponed to next Tuesday, the 27th.
The housing rights protesters who were detained have been released. They will appear before a judge this Wednesday.
Pedro Proença further states that the Public Prosecutor's Office will decide, on a case-by-case basis, “whether or not there is grounds for a criminal investigation for resisting authority”.
The start of the trial for former Prime Minister José Sócrates on money laundering charges was postponed this Monday to October 30, so that the court can decide on preliminary issues that could jeopardize the proceedings. The decision was announced by the presiding judge, Rúben Vieira, following two motions submitted to...
Former Prime Minister José Sócrates and businessman Carlos Santos Silva appear in court this Monday to answer for money laundering charges in an autonomous case resulting from the 2021 instructional decision of Operation Marquis. In addition to money laundering, Sócrates and Santos Silva were initially accused of document forgery. However, this...
Parliament lifted the immunity of Chega deputy Filipe Melo on Friday, October 16, regarding an alleged defamation case during the local election campaign in Vila Verde, Braga district. The case, pending at the Braga Judicial Court, follows a complaint by Jorge Manuel Rodrigues Oliveira. Although the lifting of immunity was not mandatory as the potential penalty is under three years, Melo agreed to the waiver to allow him to be named a formal suspect and provide statements. The Parliamentary Transparency Committee noted the remarks were made in a political-partisan context unrelated to his parliamentary duties. Melo, who serves as a secretary on the Assembly of the Republic's board, has previously been reprimanded by the Transparency Committee for inappropriate conduct towards Socialist deputies Isabel Moreira and Eva Cruzeiro.
Manuel Pinho's lawyer, Ricardo Sá Fernandes, anticipates the next steps in the defence of the former Minister of the Economy and argues that the former government official must be released immediately.
José Amador does not want to testify in his colleague's trial to avoid self-incrimination
According to a report published on September 26 by CNN, the General Inspection of Health Activities (IGAS) forwarded a complaint to the Public Prosecutor's Office
Gaspar Borges is set to stand trial for alleged corruption of an official during the construction of the Gaia/Espinho hospital. Assets worth 27 million euros are considered “incongruent” by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The helmsman responsible for the vessel that sank in Tróia in 2024, resulting in the deaths of four people, has been given a five-year suspended sentence.
The court will rule on Friday regarding the legal outcome for the helmsman involved in the shipwreck in Tróia that resulted in four fatalities.
