Raad van Europa: maatregelen om eind te maken aan buitensporig lange processen in Portugal (en)

Press Release - 702(2007)

Portugal: Measures to end violations of excessive length of proceedings

Strasbourg, 19.10.2007 - The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted an Interim Resolution in a group of 25 cases concerning the excessive length of judicial proceedings in Portugal. The Resolution takes stock of the progress achieved in the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in these cases and identifies the outstanding issues.

As regards the general problem of excessive length of proceedings in Portugal, the numerous reforms already adopted to remedy this structural problem were welcomed. The Resolution refers in particular to the increase in the number of judges, the geographically more even spread of cases among civil courts and the increase of the number of justices of the peace and "mediation services". The Committee encouraged Portugal to continue its efforts in this respect. In addition, the authorities were invited to provide the Committee with further information, including additional comparative statistical data, so that the practical impact of all the reforms can be assessed.

Portugal was further invited to continue the ongoing legislative process with a view to the adoption of the draft "Law on the regime of extra-contractual civil responsibility of the State and other public entities". This law, once adopted, would provide a stable basis for an effective remedy against the excessive length of proceedings.

The additional measures taken by Portugal will be assessed by the Committee in one year at the latest.

Full text of the Interim Resolution ResDH(2007)108

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The information submitted to the Committee and its decisions are public. Interim Resolutions and decisions adopted on important and urgent issues become public at the end of the meeting. The other decisions adopted and the annotated agenda containing information on the progress in the execution of judgments are made public some weeks after the meeting. These documents together with more comprehensive information on the execution of judgments by the member states are available on http://www.coe.int/t/cm/home_en.asp or http://www.coe.int/Human_rights/execution/ .

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