Domestic implementation of international criminal law
Portugal
Domestic Legislation | Resources and Links
Crimes Crime of Aggression / Crimes against Peace
No specific provision could be found. Nonetheless, the following information can be considered:
➤ Articles 17 and 18 of the Annex to Law No. 31/2004, adapting the Portuguese criminal legislation to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, proscribe the incitement to war and the recruitment of mercenaries. See:
Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, defining types of conduct that constitute breaches of international humanitarian law.
Official Gazette (Diário Da República) No. 171, 22 July 2004. [ENG]
Lei n.º 31/2004 que adapta a legislação penal portuguesa ao Estatuto do Tribunal Penal Internacional, tipificando as condutas que constituem crimes de violação do direito internacional humanitário.
Diário Da República — I Série-A, N.º 171, 22 Julho 2004. [POR]
➤ Article 240 of the Penal Code, concerning racial, religious or sexual discrimination, punishes the denial of crimes against peace.
➤ Additionally, Portugal deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on the crime of aggression on 11 April 2017:
Aviso n.º 49/2017. A República Portuguesa depositou junto do Secretário-Geral das Nações Unidas, a 11 de abril de 2017, o seu instrumento de ratificação à alteração ao artigo 8.º e outras alterações ao Estatuto de Roma relativas ao crime de agressão.
Diário da República n.º 92/2017, Série I de 12mai17. [POR]
Decreto do Presidente da República n.º 21/2017: Aprova a alteração ao artigo 8.º e outras alterações ao Estatuto de Roma do Tribunal Penal Internacional relativas ao Crime de Agressão.
Diário da República n.º 36/2017, Série I de 20fev17. [POR]
Resolução da Assembleia da República n.º 31/2017: Aprova a alteração ao artigo 8.º e outras alterações ao Estatuto de Roma do Tribunal Penal Internacional relativas ao Crime de Agressão.
Diário da República n.º 36/2017, Série I de 20fev17. [POR]Crimes Against Humanity
Crimes against humanity are defined in Article 9, Section I ("Crime of genocide and crimes against humanity"), Chapter II ("Crimes") of the Annex to Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. See:
Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, defining types of conduct that constitute breaches of international humanitarian law.
Official Gazette (Diário Da República) No. 171, 22 July 2004. [ENG]
Lei n.º 31/2004 que adapta a legislação penal portuguesa ao Estatuto do Tribunal Penal Internacional, tipificando as condutas que constituem crimes de violação do direito internacional humanitário.
Diário Da República — I Série-A, N.º 171, 22 Julho 2004. [POR]Genocide
Genocide is defined in Article 8, Section I ("Crime of genocide and crimes against humanity"), Chapter II ("Crimes") of the Annex to Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. See:
Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, defining types of conduct that constitute breaches of international humanitarian law.
Official Gazette (Diário Da República) No. 171, 22 July 2004. [ENG]
Lei n.º 31/2004 que adapta a legislação penal portuguesa ao Estatuto do Tribunal Penal Internacional, tipificando as condutas que constituem crimes de violação do direito internacional humanitário.
Diário Da República — I Série-A, N.º 171, 22 Julho 2004. [POR]War Crimes
War crimes are defined in Articles 10-16, Section II ("War crimes"), Chapter II ("Crimes") of the Annex to Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. See:
Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, defining types of conduct that constitute breaches of international humanitarian law.
Official Gazette (Diário Da República) No. 171, 22 July 2004. [ENG]
Lei n.º 31/2004 que adapta a legislação penal portuguesa ao Estatuto do Tribunal Penal Internacional, tipificando as condutas que constituem crimes de violação do direito internacional humanitário.
Diário Da República — I Série-A, N.º 171, 22 Julho 2004. [POR]
Jurisdiction
According to the information submitted by the Republic of Portugal to the United Nations General Assembly on "The Scope and Application of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction":"As a general principle, the Portuguese criminal legislation is applicable to all facts committed in the Portuguese territory.
See:
The Portuguese criminal legislation is also applicable to facts perpetrated outside the Portuguese territory when committed [Article 5 (1) of the Criminal Code]:i. By Portuguese citizens against other Portuguese citizens that reside in Portugal;
ii. By Portuguese citizens or by foreigners against Portuguese citizens, if the offender is to be found in Portugal and if the facts are punishable in the territory where they took place unless if the punitive power is not carried out in that place, and the extradition cannot be performed or if it is decided not to surrender the offender as result of an European arrest warrant or of other international agreement binding Portugal;
iii. By foreigners, irrespective of the nationality of the victim, if the offender is to be found in Portugal and the extradition cannot be performed or if it is decided to not surrender in result of a European arrest warrant or of other international agreement binding Portugal;[...]
[...] [I]t must be noted that the Portuguese law establishes for a substantial number of crimes a conditional universal jurisdiction, that is, when the agent is found in Portugal and cannot or it was decided not to extradited or to hand over. Examples of this last category include genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, incitement to war and recruitment of mercenaries [See Article 5 of: Law 31/2004 of 22 July 2004]"
Information provided by Portugal on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction in accordance with General Assembly resolution 64/117.
The scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction (Agenda item 86), General Assembly of the United Nations, Sixth Committee (Legal), sixty-fifth session (4 October to 11 November 2010).
[General Assembly resolution 64/117 (A/RES/64/117) of 15 January 2010, "[R]equests the Secretary-General to invite Member States to submit, before 30 April 2010, information and observations on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction, including information on the relevant applicable international treaties, their domestic legal rules and judicial practice, and to prepare and submit to the General Assembly, at its sixty-fifth session, a report based on such information and observations." This document contains the reply provided by Portugal to the said request.]
Command responsibility
Article 6 of the Law 31/2004 of 22 July 2004 provides the following regarding the responsibility of military commanders and other superiors:"Article 6
Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations
Responsibilities of military commanders and other superiors
1. Without prejudice to the provisions of the Code of Military Justice, any military commander or person acting as such a commander who knows or should know that the forces under his or her effective command and control, or effective responsibility and control, are committing or about to commit any of the crimes defined in this law and fails to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent or repress their commission or to submit the matter to the competent authorities, shall be liable to the penalty provided for the crime or crimes that were effectively committed.
2. The provisions of the previous paragraph shall be applicable, mutatis mutandis, to a superior in respect of the control exercised over subordinates who are under his or her effective authority and control."
Article 7 of the Annex to Law 31/2004 of 22 July 2004 provides the following regarding the non-applicability of statutes of limitations to serious crimes under international law:"Criminal proceedings and the penalties imposed in respect of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes shall not be subject to any statute of limitations."
Article 122 of the Criminal Code, on the prescription of sentences, has been interpreted by the Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa in a judgement dated 26 October 2010. Regarding the prescription of alternative sentences and serious crimes under international law it stated the following:"Para além dos casos previstos na Lei n.º 31/2004, de 22 de Julho (crimes de genocídio, contra a humanidade e de guerra), não existem penas imprescritíveis.
See:
Assim, também as penas de substituição, como verdadeiras penas que são, encontram-se sujeitas ao decurso da prescrição [...]"
Acórdão do Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa sobre o prazo de prescrição as penas de substituição. Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa. 26 Outubro 2010. [POR]
International Co-operation in Criminal Matters
Law No. 144/99 on International Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters. (As amended by Laws No. 104/2001, of 25 August, Law No. 48/2003, of 22 August, Law No. 48/2007 of 29 August and Law No 115/2009 of 12 October)
31 August 1999. [ENG]
Law No. 65/2003 approving the legal regime of the European arrest warrant.
23 August 2003. [ENG]
Lei n.° 104/2001 de primeira alteração à Lei n.º 144/99 que aprova a lei da cooperação judiciária internacional em matéria penal. (Law No. 144/99 amending the Law on international judicial cooperation)
25 Agosto 2001. [POR]
Ad-Hoc Tribunals (ICTY and ICTR)
Agreement Between the United Nations and the Portuguese Republic on the Enforcement of Sentences of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. 19 December 2007. [ENG]
Lei n.° 102/2001 que estabelece normas sobre a cooperação entre Portugal e os tribunais penais internacionais para a ex-Jugoslávia e para o Ruanda. (Law No. 102/2001 establishing rules of cooperation between Portugal and the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda).
25 Agosto 2001. [POR]
International Criminal Court
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Portugal signed the Rome Statute on 07 October 1998 and deposited its instrument of ratification on 05 February 2002.
Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, 22 julho 2004. [ENG]
Lei nº 31/2004 que adapta a legislação penal portuguesa ao Estatuto do Tribunal Penal Internacional, tipificando as condutas que constituem crimes de violação do direito internacional humanitário.
Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, 22 julho 2004. [POR]
Kampala Amendments on War Crimes and Crime of Aggression:Portugal deposited its instrument of ratification of the Kampala amendments on the crime of aggression on 11 April 2017.
Aviso n.º 49/2017. A República Portuguesa depositou junto do Secretário-Geral das Nações Unidas, a 11 de abril de 2017, o seu instrumento de ratificação à alteração ao artigo 8.º e outras alterações ao Estatuto de Roma relativas ao crime de agressão.
Diário da República n.º 92/2017, Série I de 12mai17. [POR]
Decreto do Presidente da República n.º 21/2017: Aprova a alteração ao artigo 8.º e outras alterações ao Estatuto de Roma do Tribunal Penal Internacional relativas ao Crime de Agressão.
Diário da República n.º 36/2017, Série I de 20fev17. [POR]
Resolução da Assembleia da República n.º 31/2017: Aprova a alteração ao artigo 8.º e outras alterações ao Estatuto de Roma do Tribunal Penal Internacional relativas ao Crime de Agressão.
Diário da República n.º 36/2017, Série I de 20fev17. [POR]
Constitution of the Portuguese Republic. (Seventh revision 2005).
Assambleia da República. [ENG]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link to pdf document]
Constitution of Portugal. (1976 with Amendments through 2005).
Comparative Constitutions Project, University of Texas at Austin. [ENG]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link to pdf document]
Código Penal de 1982. DL n.º 48/95, de 15 de Março. Versão consolidada posterior a 1995 (versão actualizada).
Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, Ministério Público. [POR]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]
Código Penal, 1982. (Versão actualizada).
Juristas. [POR]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]
Lei n.º 59/2007, de 04 de Setembro. (Law No. 59/2007 amending the Penal Code. Through this amendment a new Article 19 is added to the Law No. 31/2004 adapting Portuguese criminal legislation to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court).
Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, Ministério Público. [POR]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]
Código de Processo Penal. DL n.º 78/87, de 17 de Fevereiro (versão actualizada).
Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, Ministério Público. [POR]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]
Código de Processo Penal. (Atualizado)
Juristas. [POR]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]Law No. 144/99 on International Judicial Co-Operation in Criminal Matters.
Gabinete de Documentaçao e Direito Comparado. [ENG]. [Last accessed 09Aug17]. [External Link]
Law No. 46/2003 of 22 August 2003. (Law regulating the monitoring of the involvement of Portuguese military contingents abroad by the Assembly of the Republic)
Assambleia da República. [ENG]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link to pdf document]
Base de dados legislativa. (Legal Database)
Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, Ministério Público. [POR]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]
Bases de dados de jurisprudência. (Case Law Database)
Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa, Ministério Público. [POR]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]
Diário Da República Eletrónico. (Electronic Official Gazette)
[POR]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]
Bases Jurídico-DocumentaisInstituto de Gestão Financeira e Equipamentos da Justiça, Ministério da Justiça, República Portuguesa. [POR]. [Last accessed 09Aug17]. [External Link]
Decision as to the Admissibility of the Application no. 23276/04 by Saddam Hussein against Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Fourth Section, ECtHR, 14 March 2006
List of International Humanitarian Law Treaties to which Portugal is a State party. [ENG]
International Committee of the Red Cross. [ENG]. [Last accessed 08Aug17]. [External Link]