New Commercial Court in Lagoa won’t open until September

The Minister of Justice braved the Algarve on Tuesday to inaugurate a new Commercial Court in Lagoa, paid for by the Council’s ratepayers in an attempt at least to to get somnething moving in the region’s stalled justice system.

The Minister in charge, Francisca van Dunen, visited the converted school building which soon will function as a Court and noted that it wiill start operating in September, to tie in to something called the ‘judicial calendar.’

The new Court is aimed at “issues of economic justice,” said Lagoa mayor, Francisco Martins, with a rare insight that belies his tender years.

Lagoa ratepayers unwittinglky have had to shell out 380 thousand euros on this project – for something that should be paid for by central government.

Francisca van Dunen stressed “the joint work and the commitment between the Council and the government,” and noted the, “outstanding importance of the Council executive in addressing and identifying local issues.”

The Lagoa Court will take its caseload from the massive backlog at the Olhão Commercial Court, also dedicated to ‘economic justice’ and failing to cope.

Whether the minister is aware or even cares abont the appalling delays at Loule Administrative Court is anyone’s guess. With cases being delayed for five years and more before even being called, this single example of Portugal’s ‘don’t really care – no money anyway’ justice system successfully has been airbrushed from public view but remains shamefully inefficient and overloaded.