Portugal Parliament approves administrative justice reform

The Portuguese Parliament has approved in principle five legislative proposals aimed at reforming the country's administrative and tax justice system. The reform seeks to address significant delays in the judiciary; official data indicated approximately 152,000 pending cases in first-instance administrative and tax courts as of 2025, with a resolution rate of 34%.

Four of the five proposals grant the Government authorization to legislate on specific matters. Key measures include the creation of specialized courts for immigration and international protection, and the establishment of a simplified procedure for administrative actions involving amounts up to 15,000 euros. Additionally, legal summons against the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) will now be presented in the court of the individual's area of residence.

The package also introduces new arbitration mechanisms, such as a Public Procurement Dispute Resolution Chamber and a new regime for resolving disputes between citizens, companies, and the public administration outside of traditional courts. Furthermore, the Government will be authorized to implement an administrative procedure for citizens to seek compensation for the State's extra-contractual civil liability.