The government announced today that Edgar Taborda Lopes has been appointed to succeed Fernando Vaz Ventura, who occupied the position since July 2022. This appointment was unanimously approved following a proposal by the Minister of Justice to the General Council of the Judicial Studies Centre (CEJ).
“The necessary authorization was also obtained from the Superior Council of the Judiciary,” noted the Ministry of Justice’s communication office in a statement sent to Lusa.
“The professional trajectory of Judge Edgar Taborda Lopes, characterized by decades of public service both in the judiciary and in the active involvement in the training and qualification of magistrates, exemplifies his exemplary dedication to Justice,” emphasized Rita Alarcão Júdice.
The minister highlighted that Taborda Lopes “possesses all the necessary qualities” for his new role and will “always have the support” of the government official.
The new Director of CEJ will assume his position on December 2, coinciding with the start of the 42nd Competitive Exam for the Magistrates’ Training Course for Judicial Courts and the 12th Competitive Exam for the Magistrates’ Training Course for Administrative and Tax Courts, which will take place in Lisbon and the new branch in Vila do Conde.
The judicial and magistrates’ training courses were postponed to early December by the minister, following a recommendation by CEJ due to delays in the psychological selection exam.
The second round of the psychological exam was conducted between October 17 and 31, which prevented the initial schedule from commencing magistrates’ training on October 31.
Regarding the background of Judge Edgar Taborda Lopes, the Ministry of Justice, in a brief biographical note, recalls that he was born in Covilhã in 1965 and graduated in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, where he was an Obligations Law Instructor.
In 1990, he joined the CEJ and the following year trained in the Cascais District Court, according to the biographical note, which also mentions his roles at the Penalty Enforcement Court and in various districts across the country.
He has been the president of the 7th Civil Section of the Lisbon Appeals Court since 2023 and has served as a Judge of the Court of Appeal since 2017, being in a Commission of Service at the Center for Judicial Studies until July 2021.
