Amadeu Guerra, the Attorney General, announced modifications to the magistrate movement policy following a ceremony at the University of Lisbon. These changes will take effect on September 1, aiming to prevent the overload of work on already burdened magistrates while allowing those able to take on more assignments. The adjustments seek to enhance management flexibility due to a shortage of magistrates.
The Council for the Judiciary agreed on a measure to ensure magistrates have the security of knowing that the CSMP, not arbitrary sources, decides ultimate assignments. “Our goal is to eliminate undue workload allocation,” Guerra stated.
The new rules stipulate that any additional tasks for prosecutors must be approved through a hierarchy and communicated up to the CSMP. This addresses a key concern raised by the prosecutors’ union, which was considered important by the CSMP.
Despite these changes, the Union of Public Prosecutors lamented the decision to uphold the movement policy, claiming the dialogue with the authorities has failed. They are contemplating further actions, which will be decided in an extraordinary assembly.
Paulo Lona, president of the union, left the options open, including a potential strike, after meeting with the Attorney General. The union emphasized the need for institutional responsibility given the impact of these decisions on the organization and magistrates.
Although Guerra acknowledged the overload faced by magistrates, he pointed out the ongoing issue of staffing shortages. Discussions have been held with the Justice Minister about opening more training courses.
Guerra also disclosed that about 950 prosecutors applied for the movement, though many were compelled to apply due to it being their first move or as auxiliaries.
The union opposed the recent notice for magistrate movements, criticizing it as a blow to prosecutor specialization. The announcement, published in the state journal on June 4, lists positions for prosecutors across different departments starting September.
