Monchique Mayor is opposing a government proposal to close the town’s court.
In a bid to cut costs, the Minister of Justice Paula Teixeira da Cruz announced that nearly 50 courthouses, selected for their low number of lawsuits (under 250 a year) and proximity to another courthouse (under an hour’s journey), would be closing, including Monchique.
Mayor Rui André says neither criteria can be applied in the Monchique case as the court has an average of 397 concluded lawsuits a year and a journey to the nearest courthouse in Silves takes more than an hour-and-a-half as there is no direct public transport.
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