2026 judicial movement transfers dozens of judges between courts

The High Council of the Judiciary (CSM) approved, in an Ordinary Plenary on July 6, 2026, the 2026 ordinary judicial movement, which promotes, transfers, and exchanges dozens of appellate judges between the Courts of Appeal of Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, and Évora. The decision was published in Deliberation (extract) no. 1013/2026, in the Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 168, of August 31, 2026, and takes effect on September 1, 2026.

The movement covers, in addition to the placements and transfers of judges between districts, the movement of appellate judges between the civil, criminal, and social sections of the four Courts of Appeal, including promotions to appellate judge and exchanges. The inauguration of the relocated magistrates must occur within 5 business days, a period extended to 10 business days for those relocating between the Autonomous Regions and the mainland, or on the first business day following the end of vacations, absences, or leaves.

Transfers between Courts of Appeal

Among the appellate judges transferred between courts, the following stand out:

• Manuel José Cardoso Torres Ramos da Fonseca, from the Criminal Section of the Lisbon Court of Appeal to the Criminal Section of the Porto Court of Appeal;
• Paula Cristina Borges Gonçalves, from the Criminal Section of the Lisbon Court of Appeal to the Civil Section of the Porto Court of Appeal;
• João Pedro Nunes Maldonado, from the Criminal Section of the Porto Court of Appeal to the Criminal Section of the Coimbra Court of Appeal, maintaining a secondment as Judicial Inspector at the CSM;
• Catarina Martins Escudeiro, from the Criminal Section of the Lisbon Court of Appeal to the Civil Section of the Coimbra Court of Appeal, maintaining a secondment as Chief of Staff at the CSM.

Promotions to appellate judge

The movement also includes the promotion and placement of several judges as appellate judges at the Lisbon Court of Appeal, in the criminal and civil sections, including Maria Filomena Ribeiro Mendes Leão Alves, Ana Carla Gonçalves Ferreira de Seixas Meireles, Maria Manuel Miranda Bastos Pinto de Sá, Ana Catarina dos Santos Carmo Ferreira, Cristina dos Santos Silva Marinho, Carla Maria Marques Couto, Teresa Cláudia Alfacinha de Matos Neves, Rui Paulo Alves de Carvalho, Iolanda Carla de Alves Pereira, Carla Margarida Andrade Rodrigues, Élida Maria Rosa Gil Duarte, Rodrigo Nunes de Oliveira Pereira da Costa, and Amélia da Glória Tavares Gil.

Exchanges and effects

By order of the Vice-President of the CSM, dated July 28, 2026, the exchange of Appellate Judge Paula Cristina Pinto Correia de Melo, from the Lisbon Court of Appeal (Intellectual Property, Competition, Regulation, and Supervision) to the Civil Section, and Judge Patrícia Daniela Coelho Madeira, promoted to appellate judge and placed, by exchange, in the Social Section of the Coimbra Court of Appeal, was also authorized, effective September 1, 2026.

The 2026 ordinary judicial movement, signed by the Judge-Secretary of the CSM, Ana Cristina Dias Chambel Matias, on August 17, 2026, reorganizes the composition of the superior courts at the start of the new judicial year, with a direct impact on the distribution of cases and the functioning of the sections of the courts of appeal of Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, and Évora.

Source: Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 168, of August 31, 2026, section I (official reference: Deliberation (extract) no. 1013/2026).