A year after the spectacular collapse of Portugal’s judicial portal – ironically christened CITIUS, after the Latin for speed – president of the association of Public Ministry magistrates António Ventinhas claims the system is now even worse.
As the nation’s courts prepare for the return from their summer holiday recess Ventinhas and union boss Filipe Preces have been explaining the problems, saying for “minimum conditions” to be attained at least 200 new magistrates are needed as well as building works to almost 150 court buildings.
In a press conference today (Monday), Ventinhas said: “A year on and our justice system is worse because the old problems continue with new ones alongside”.
CITIUS – the implosion of which jettisoned millions of cases into a cyber void for months – is still “incompatible” with the workings of justice, Preces explained, because the Justice Ministry simply never put enough money into its ambitious project to redraw the judicial map.
“Let’s be honest”, he told his audience. “There were no conditions for judicial reform. There weren’t, and there still aren’t”.
Magistrates have thus drawn up a list of 10 salient questions which they will now be handing in to political candidates as these approach the general election.
