Portugal Pledges Fast-Track Courts and Infrastructure Plan to Slash Legal Delays

A quiet admission from the Government has put the Portuguese justice system back in the spotlight. The country’s Justice Minister conceded this week that “urgent measures” cannot wait any longer and that a broader investment plan for the courts is now on the table. For residents who have felt the weight of slow-moving cases or bureaucratic dead ends, the statement signals that long-promised change may finally gain momentum.

Pressure Mounts After Years of Delays

Court statistics released over the past decade have persistently shown Portugal near the bottom of European rankings for case-resolution speed. From family disputes that drag on for years to commercial litigation that freezes corporate deals, the backlog has become more than an internal inconvenience; it is now viewed as a drag on economic competitiveness. The Minister acknowledged the “real social cost” of every postponed ruling and noted that delays in civil and criminal matters erode public trust in governmental institutions.

A Two-Track Strategy: Emergency Fixes and Long-Term Funding

According to the brief outline presented, the ministry will pursue a dual approach. First, short-term interventions are being drafted to unclog dockets—ranging from temporary task forces of judges to extended courtroom hours in districts with the heaviest queues. Second, officials are sketching a multi-year capital programme that would modernise courthouse infrastructure, expand digital filing platforms and reinforce cybersecurity protections. While the Minister stopped short of releasing figures, she hinted that European funding streams, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility, could be tapped to cover a “substantial share” of the costs.

Legal Community Seeks More Than Promises

Reaction inside the profession was cautious. A spokesperson for the Ordem dos Advogados welcomed the commitment but warned that staff shortages and outdated IT systems remain unresolved pain points. Meanwhile, the union that represents court clerks repeated its call for salary revisions, arguing that attracting qualified personnel is impossible without competitive pay. Both organisations insisted that any future plan must be codified in the State Budget, not just announced at a press conference.

Everyday Impact: From Property Deeds to Family Matters

For ordinary citizens, the stakes are tangible. Property registrations can stall home sales, inheritance cases can lock up assets for years, and delayed criminal trials can keep victims and defendants alike in limbo. Economists estimate that inefficiencies in justice shave fractional points off GDP growth each year by discouraging foreign investment and draining public coffers through prolonged detention costs. The Government’s forthcoming plan is expected to spell out how new funds will be allocated to cut average processing times and lower the cost of accessing the courts.

What Happens Next

The Ministry pledged to unveil concrete deadlines and budget lines "within weeks" after further consultations with magistrates and parliamentary committees. Observers will be looking for clear performance metrics, such as time-to-trial targets and digital-service uptake rates, to judge whether this initiative breaks from previous attempts that never escaped the planning stages. Should the programme move swiftly, Portugal could reposition itself in European benchmarks by mid-decade—yet the window for action is narrowing as caseloads climb and public patience thins.

Portugal’s justice system, long criticised for inertia, now stands at a crossroads. The coming months will reveal whether the latest promise of medidas urgentes becomes a turning point or another footnote in the nation’s struggle to deliver timely justice.