Latest news and stories about legal reforms in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
The President of the Assembly of the Republic appeals to the parties to make this issue a priority. Also, in the Marquês Operation, José Sócrates has a new court-appointed lawyer.
Luís Carlos Esteves has been named as the new court-appointed lawyer for José Sócrates in the Operação Marquês trial, according to CNN Portugal. Esteves previously represented João Perna, the former driver of the ex-prime minister, in the same case. The appointment follows an agreement between the Bar Association and the High Council of the Judiciary to select from a list of lawyers already familiar with the proceedings. The trial was interrupted on Tuesday, March 17, as the judge had not yet received formal notification of the appointment. Sócrates, prime minister from 2005 to 2011, faces 22 charges, including corruption, money laundering, and tax fraud, alongside 20 other defendants. The case involves alleged illicit dealings with the Lena Group, the Espírito Santo Group, and the Vale de Lobo resort. Since his arrest in 2014, Sócrates has had four private lawyers, all of whom have either passed away or resigned, leading to a series of court-appointed replacements.
The same conduct will be followed regarding all officeholders who are in an analogous situation, the entity stated.
The lack of a successor for Luís Neves as Director-General of the Judiciary Police (PJ) is the main topic in the online edition of Expresso this Tuesday, March 17. It was announced on February 21 that he would replace Maria Lúcia Amaral at the Ministry of Internal Administration, and no one has been appointed to his former position yet, which the newspaper reports is causing 'perplexity' and 'concern' within the PJ. Público reports that the PJ has opened nearly 1,400 investigations into sextortion over the last two years, with the majority of victims being men. Jornal de Notícias writes that home auctions have halved in the last seven years, a decline driven by banks due to a reduction in non-performing loans. Correio da Manhã highlights that five ministers—Labour, Economy, Parliamentary Affairs, Justice, and Defence—are required to disclose their client lists to the Transparency Entity, a consequence of the Constitutional Court rejecting the Prime Minister's appeal regarding Spinumviva. CNN Portugal reports that violent WhatsApp conversations have left the school community in Oeiras concerned, involving threats such as 'You were supposed to bring the guns' and 'I'll bring the knives,' along with photos of teachers taken from Teams shared among dozens of students at Quinta do Marquês Secondary School. Diário de Notícias focuses on public transport prices in Lisbon, which are among the highest relative to income, and notes that the Western Lisbon Local Health Unit (ULS) is requiring Portuguese nationality for recruitment competitions, a practice lawyers claim is illegal. Negócios reports that REN anticipates rising energy bills due to fuel costs, with CEO Rodrigo Costa stating that while Portugal is better prepared for energy shocks than in 2022, the market escalation will likely impact gas and electricity prices.
There is optimism regarding the labour package. Seguro changed the day of the meeting with Montenegro to foster “strategic cooperation”. Trump says “I can do whatever I want”, but has no solution for Hormuz.
PSD deputy Paulo Lopes Marcelo defends the government's law, which aims to prevent the dragging out of the Marquês Case. Lawyer Miguel Matias says the law that will be introduced in parliament is “counterproductive”.
The secretary-general of the CGTP trade union federation accused the Government of a “democratic attack” for excluding the union from discussions on labour law reforms. Tiago Oliveira stated the process is “riddled with disrespect” and vowed that the struggle will continue. While dozens of protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Labour, the Government indicated it would be available for a separate meeting with the CGTP later. The union leader also announced plans to request an urgent meeting with the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, and noted that the union's National Council will meet on Wednesday to discuss further forms of protest.
The Lisbon administrative court ordered the process to be repeated following a complaint from a professor whose candidacy was not admitted.
The José Sócrates case keeps moving back and forth, but in reality, it has been nothing more than a test that the justice system has failed. Also, is Lisbon becoming more insecure?
The Minister of Labour reconvenes with the UGT and business confederations to resume labour law reform negotiations following an appeal from the President of the Republic to resolve the recent impasse.
Lisbon faces a paradox: while the city struggles with a housing shortage, thousands of properties remain vacant due to legal disputes, undivided inheritances, and slow eviction processes. New government proposals aim to accelerate evictions for non-payment and allow individual heirs to unlock the sale of inherited properties. These measures seek to remove legal barriers that have kept thousands of homes off the market for decades, ensuring existing housing stock can finally be utilised.
The webpage provides a roundup of recent news related to Portugal, covering various topics. Key highlights include: - Political developments such as PSD's proposal to suspend prescription deadlines in legal cases involving lawyer changes, and statements from Chega's Ventura denying any “misalignment” following his removal from CML. - Cultural updates on the Oscars 2026, highlighting films like “Batalha Atrás de Batalha” and “Sinners” as favorites, and coverage of the red carpet looks featuring Portuguese actress Alba Baptista. - Ongoing coverage of the Ukraine conflict. - Local incidents, including a fire in Canha, Montijo, which destroyed a residence and annex, and the opening of a regional emergency unit at Loures Hospital. - Sports news focusing on the Portuguese Primeira Liga, with updates on remaining fixtures for FC Porto, Sporting, and Benfica, including live coverage of FC Porto's victory over Moreirense. - International relations, with discussions among EU foreign ministers about possibly increasing naval presence in the Middle East. This summary encapsulates the main political, cultural, local, and sports news relevant to Portugal from the webpage.
The trial for the Operação Marquês case resumes on Tuesday in Lisbon, following a three-week interruption—the third such break caused by the resignation of a lawyer for former Prime Minister José Sócrates.
This is the first time a former head of government has sat in the dock for corruption.
The decision by the Lisbon Administrative Circle Court was published this month.
The Lisbon Court of Appeal rejected the appeal from the leader of Chega, confirming the initial decision of the Lisbon Civil Court that ordered the removal of presidential campaign posters directed at the Roma community.
The Lisbon Court of Appeal today rejected André Ventura's appeal and confirmed the initial decision of the Lisbon Civil Court, which ordered the removal of his presidential campaign posters that targeted the Roma community.
The webpage provides a broad overview of recent news related to Portugal, including political, economic, and international developments. Key highlights include António Costa criticizing the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil, expressing concern over potential geopolitical and economic repercussions. Domestically, there are updates on legal and political issues, such as the rejection of a complaint by Luís Montenegro regarding client disclosures by Spinumviva. Additionally, the site covers weather forecasts indicating an early transition from winter to spring, and reports on local incidents like police injuries during a chase on the Ponte 25 de Abril. Overall, the content reflects ongoing political debates, international relations, and local news relevant to Portugal.
UNL statutes required rector candidates to be full professors, but the requirement 'exceeds the scope' of the law, says the Lisbon Administrative Court. The election will be repeated and UNL will have to pay €30,000.
Meetings between the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister at Belém will now take place on Tuesdays. The government approves measures to accelerate the sale of undivided inheritances.
The webpage provides a variety of recent news updates related to Portugal, including political, economic, and social issues. Key highlights include a meeting between Portugal's President Montenegro and Prime Minister Seguro in Belém, emphasizing cordial relations. The government announced it will maintain fuel discounts if price increases exceed 10 cents. Additionally, there are legislative updates, such as amendments to rental laws. Investigations are ongoing into corruption at the Santa Maria hospital, where a long-standing scheme involving morgue staff was uncovered. Other notable stories involve allegations of mistreatment in a childcare center in Alfragide and political tensions with the ERC opening a process against TVI. The site also covers international news relevant to Portugal, such as the Ukraine conflict and global events.
The new President took office in Belém, emphasizing the need for national stability while highlighting critical challenges including an ageing population, healthcare and housing deficits, and a slow judicial system.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Lisbon and Porto to protest against the government's proposed changes to the labour law, known as the 'Work XXI' reform. Led by the CGTP union, the protests highlighted concerns that the reforms would negatively impact workers' rights. CGTP's Secretary-General, Tiago Oliveira, called for the government to withdraw the labour package, emphasizing its detrimental effects on the workforce.
Moedas has secured an absolute majority with former Chega members, raising questions about the implications for Lisbon's political landscape and whether this shift marks the end of certain political red lines.
