The inauguration ceremony of the new leadership of the Ordem dos Advogados (OA) is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in the Main Hall of the headquarters of the Ordem dos Advogados in Lisbon. The event will feature the presence of the Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, and the Secretary of State for Justice, Maria Clara Figueiredo.
João Massano will assume the role of president and head of the General Council of the OA. António Jaime Martins will be sworn in as president of the Superior Council, and Pedro Madeira de Brito as president of the Fiscal Council.
The new governing bodies will serve a term from 2025 to 2027.
On March 31, in the second round of voting, João Massano’s List R secured 54.58% of the votes, totaling 9,541 votes, while Fernanda da Almeida Pinheiro’s List U received 45.42%, or 7,941 votes.
The elections for the presidency of the OA were brought forward by the current incumbent, Fernanda de Almeida Pinheiro, following the implementation of new Statutes that created additional positions, necessitating the appointment of representatives.
This situation led to internal controversy, which Fernanda de Almeida Pinheiro regarded as divisive for the profession. She asserted that the elections aimed to resolve these divisions.
In his campaign platform, João Massano emphasized the need to reunify the legal profession, attributing the current feelings of division to the outgoing president’s actions.
He particularly criticized the creation of divides among those who participated in protests regarding official defense counsel and between lawyers working in major law firms and those practicing independently.
In a post-election interview, the newly elected president identified his priorities as establishing predictable payments for public defense lawyers through a monthly calendar and revising the OA’s Statutes, specifically regarding internship remuneration.
He also criticized the outgoing leadership for publicly announcing an investigation into alleged illegal representation by the company Spinumviva, linked to Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, without any confirmed suspicions, accusing the outgoing president of electoral manipulation.
