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126/2019 AI generated

Portuguese Constitutional Court rejects academic and friendship ties as sufficient grounds for recusal request.

Case Number 126/2019
Court / Authority
Jurisdiction Portugal (PT)
Outcome Dismissed
Open official source Machine-readable Markdown (.md)

Legislator summary

AI generated

The Constitutional Court rejected a request for recusal based on alleged academic and friendship ties with the presiding judge. The petitioner argued these relationships created an objective suspicion of partiality, but the court found the circumstances did not meet the legal threshold for 'weighty circumstances' under the Civil Procedure Code. Consequently, the court ruled that such personal connections do not objectively undermine the judge's impartiality or the tribunal's image.

Legislator headnote

AI generated

Article 119(1)(2) of the Civil Procedure Code; The existence of academic or friendship ties with a judge does not objectively create a suspicion of partiality unless the circumstances are weighty enough to impair the tribunal's image.

Keywords

AI generated
recusal request objective suspicion weighty circumstances impartiality standard Civil Procedure Code

Cited Legislation

AI generated
Article 119(1)(2) of the Civil Procedure Code
AI generated
580/2018
Portuguese Constitutional Court rejects request for recusal of judge due to social contacts lacking objective bias.
193/20.0GBABF.E1-A.S1
Portuguese Supreme Court grants recusal due to serious personal ties between judge and prior court member.
124/25.1BELLE.CS1-A
Judge's request for recusal granted due to strong friendship and shared residence with opposing party.
147/13.3TELSB-K.L1-A.S1
Portuguese court rejects defense of judge's impartiality due to prior consultation on unrelated case.
823-A/14
Portuguese Constitutional Court dismisses a recusal claim against a judge for procedural impropriety and inconstitucionalidade arguments.

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Full text

ACÓRDÃO Nº 132/2019

Processo n.º 126/2019

2.ª Secção

Relator: Conselheira Maria Clara Sottomayor

Acordam, na 2.ª Secção do Tribunal Constitucional

Ponderadas as razões invocadas para o pedido de escusa – laços académicos e de amizade com o juiz Presidente do Tribunal Arbitral – entende-se que estas não são suscetíveis de, objetivamente, criar qualquer suspeita de parcialidade em relação ao Senhor Conselheiro a quem o processo foi distribuído, e nessa medida, pôr em causa a imagem do Tribunal perante a comunidade.

Assim sendo, o conceito de «circunstâncias ponderosas» previsto no artigo 119.º, n.º 1, 2.ª parte, do Código de Processo Civil não se encontra preenchido.

Pelo exposto, indefere-se o pedido de escusa.

Lisboa, 21 de fevereiro de 2019 - Maria Clara Sottomayor - Fernando Vaz Ventura - Catarina Sarmento e Castro - Manuel da Costa Andrade