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Courts of Portugal

Separate court chains for ordinary cases and for administrative and tax cases, a Constitutional Court apart from both, and a Court of Auditors for public money.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Judicial courts (civil and criminal)

Supreme Court of Justice (STJ)
Courts of Appeal (Tribunais da Relação)
District courts (tribunais de comarca)

Administrative and tax courts

Supreme Administrative Court (STA)
Central Administrative Courts
Administrative and tax courts of first instance

Stands apart from the chain of appeals

Constitutional CourtReviews laws against the Constitution
Court of Auditors (Tribunal de Contas)Oversees public spending
Appeals travel up the arrows. Boxes with a heavier border are the top court of each track.

Worth knowing

    Compare Portugal with another country →
    Read the Portugal profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

    Sources

    Other systems

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    TheLawToKnow Tools’s court-structure diagrams are simplified on purpose and are not legal advice. Report a mistake.