Portugal’s Prosecutors Sound Alarm: Courts Need Immediate Security Fix

You may not notice it while renewing your citizen card or filing a traffic complaint, yet magistrates across Portugal’s court network say the difference between routine paperwork and danger is now paper-thin. After a violent attack on a prosecutor in Coimbra, legal unions are warning that the country’s justice system needs more than polite promises. They want security upgrades, money from the new State Budget 2026, and, above all, urgent measures to keep court buildings safe for staff and for the citizens who rely on judicial services every day.

A Justice System Feeling the Heat

Long before last week’s assault, the daily grind inside Portugal’s courthouses had become an obstacle course of increasing caseload, aging courthouses, and understaffed security posts. An internal series of SMMP surveys found that one in four facilities lacks the most basic protective infrastructure—no gates, no cameras, sometimes not even a doorman. That void does more than endanger magistrates; it chips away at public confidence, turning the corridors of justice into a place of worry for legal professionals and a source of workplace anxiety for clerks, lawyers, and witnesses alike.

The Assault That Sparked Outrage

The flashpoint came when a magistrate was beaten inside the DIAP Coimbra building, a space that shares an entrance with shops and doctors’ offices but still has no metal detector. Police detained the alleged aggressor, a defendant who had recently been served with a restraining order. The prosecutor needed stitches and emergency hospitalisation; colleagues say the incident exposes a systemic occupational risk that could have been prevented. The episode dominated national headlines and left even veteran judges rattled.

From Porto to Viseu, an Inventory of Hazards

Security shortages are only part of the story. In Porto, the historic São João Novo courthouse has become infamous for leaking ceilings that dump rainwater onto files. Electrical panels trip without warning, creating electrical failures during sessions held under temperature extremes. Similar complaints arrive from Santarém, Leiria, and elsewhere, all citing the same issues: broken lifts, mold, and resource shortages that undermine the dignity at work guaranteed by law.

Government Signals and Budget Figures

Lisbon insists change is coming. The draft State Budget allocates €2,027.5 million for justice, a 13.5% rise that officials say will translate into safer buildings and better tools. Headline items include ten tactical units of specialised gear for the Polícia Judiciária, 100 new vehicles, and fresh spending on digital forensics and cybersecurity. But unions warn that budgets can be re-routed during parliamentary scrutiny, and no implementation calendar has yet been set for physical upgrades such as scanners and access-control doors.

What This Means for Citizens and the Rule of Law

The stakes go well beyond staff welfare. Trials delayed by security scares erode faith in institutions; gaps in victim protection challenge the promise of equality before the law. Investors watch court efficiency to gauge the economic investment climate, and tourists notice when Portugal’s international image is tarnished by stories of unsafe courts. Ultimately, safeguarding magistrates is a constitutional duty and a prerequisite for the modern justice system lawmakers keep promising. Until surveillance cameras click on and reinforced doors close properly, public opinion will provide its own verdict—and public oversight may be the one force politicians cannot ignore.