Portuguese court holds judges may develop facts via presumptions but cannot alter established factual points.

The Supreme Court of Justice ruled that a judicial panel could legitimately expand upon factual points already confirmed through judicial presumptions and specific answers to questions. The court emphasized that while judges have the authority to elaborate on these established facts, they are strictly prohibited from altering the core factual determinations made by the lower instance. Consequently, the request to review or modify the original factual findings was rejected based on the principle that presumptions serve to develop, not contradict, the proven facts.