Portugal judicial reform: The need for a multi-door courthouse

The Portuguese judicial system continues to struggle with inefficiency, despite various sectoral reforms. While mechanisms such as public mediation, institutionalized arbitration, and peace courts exist, they operate in isolation and remain largely unknown to the general public. This fragmentation forces most citizens to enter the system through traditional litigation, leading to long waiting periods for decisions that often arrive too late to be effective.

Drawing on the ‘multi-door courthouse’ concept introduced by Harvard professor Frank Sander in 1976, there is a call to move away from a single-entry courtroom model toward a system that triages disputes into mediation, arbitration, or trial based on the specific needs of the case. Rather than viewing the court as a physical location, the concept suggests treating justice as a service. This could involve digital platforms where citizens describe conflicts in plain language and are guided toward the most appropriate resolution path, reserving physical presence only for essential acts.