Legal reforms news in Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

Fidelidade, the insurer for Lisbon transport operator Carris, has contested a compensation claim stemming from the fatal Glória Funicular (Elevador da Glória) accident on 3 September 2025. In legal filings before the Lisbon Administrative Court, the insurer argued that the funicular could not be considered highly reliable at the time of the crash, which killed 16 people. The legal response comes in an action brought by the family of victim Ana Paula Lopes, whose lawyer criticized the insurer's characterization.

Former Economy Minister Manuel Pinho was released from pre-trial house arrest (prisão domiciliária) after nearly five years in connection with the EDP corruption case. The Lisbon Central Criminal Court (Tribunal Central Criminal de Lisboa) ordered his release following a Supreme Court of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justiça) ruling that reduced his sentence from ten to eight and a half years. Manuel Pinho remains barred from leaving Portugal while appeals proceed.

Demonstrators gathered in Lisbon and Porto this Saturday to protest the judicial system's treatment of child abuse and domestic violence victims. Organized by the Women's Movement, participants criticized the systematic devaluation of abuse reports and the practice of mandating contact between child victims and their alleged abusers in civil guardianship cases.

A court has acquitted the former mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia, Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues, of charges related to malfeasance and embezzlement. The case involved allegations that municipal funds were used to purchase football tickets, but the court also cleared the former deputy mayor and the former presidential secretary of all related accusations.

The Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) has unanimously approved the legal norms regarding foreign and asylum laws. The decision follows a review requested by the President of the Republic, with legal experts noting the rare unanimity in the court's ruling on these sensitive matters.

The Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal or IL) has requested that the Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves, appear before the Assembly of the Republic's Standing Committee. The party seeks clarification regarding controversies involving contracts awarded to a construction firm during his previous tenure as head of the Judiciary Police (Polícia Judiciária or PJ).

The Coração Silenciado association, representing victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, has cancelled a scheduled meeting with presidential advisors. The group is demanding a direct meeting with President António José Seguro to deliver a dossier on the compensation and support process.

Luísa Neto took office this Wednesday as the new Ombudsman (Provedora de Justiça), promising to lead the institution with an assertive voice. She committed to defending fundamental rights and rebuilding public trust in democracy while maintaining the separation of powers.

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic is facing a class action lawsuit in Portugal filed by the Citizens’ Voice – Consumer Defence Association. The legal action stems from the company's alleged failure to provide an electronic complaints book (Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico), a mandatory requirement for businesses operating within the national territory.

Ten months after the Glória Funicular accident in Lisbon, only two of the 40 compensation claims have been settled. The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE) criticized the delay and the lack of scrutiny regarding the maintenance contract with the company MNTC following a meeting with the municipal transport operator, Carris.

João Carlos Loureiro, the new president of the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional or TC), stated in his inaugural address that the court remains committed to protecting the rights of all, including foreigners and stateless persons. He described the TC as a court for citizens that operates independently of partisan interests, while noting concerns regarding the high volume of appeals currently burdening the institution.

President of the Republic António José Seguro is set to swear in four new Constitutional Court judges this Monday. The judges were elected by Parliament following a joint list agreement between the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Chega, and the Socialist Party (PS).

The Council of Europe has threatened further action against Portugal unless the government presents a concrete plan to address prison overcrowding. Minister of Justice Rita Alarcão Júdice faced pressure during a recent committee meeting regarding the delayed closure of the Lisbon Penitentiary and ongoing human rights concerns within the prison system.

Prosecutor-General Amadeu Guerra appeared before a parliamentary committee on Thursday to deny that the Public Prosecution Service (Ministério Público) times its investigations and searches to influence politics. Addressing questions regarding recent raids on the PS, Guerra also highlighted that the service is struggling with a lack of resources, including staffing and technological support, which he described as a near-paralysis of the system.

Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro announced that the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has approved processes for approximately 385,000 immigrants. The minister stated that 458,989 residence cards have been issued to date, aiming to resolve long-standing administrative delays. Meanwhile, the government is also debating a new return law in the Assembly of the Republic to accelerate the removal of foreign nationals in irregular situations.

The Minister of Labour meets again today with the UGT and the four business confederations regarding changes to labour law, following the appeal made by the President of the Republic after the 'rupture' announced by the employers.

The last meeting ended without an agreement and with mutual accusations of intransigence.

Update: Government schedules fresh labour law talks for Monday

Minister of Labour Rosário Palma Ramalho has summoned the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (União Geral de Trabalhadores or UGT) and business leaders to a meeting on Monday, March 16. The government aims to exhaust all possibilities for an agreement rather than prolonging the discussion indefinitely.