There were no PSP agents in the Palace of Justice of Coimbra for seven months.

There were no PSP agents at Coimbra’s Palace of Justice, usually on duty for seven months, a situation signaled by Komarca but to which the Ministry of Justice “still has no response”.

“We have not had police at the Palace of Justice since the beginning of the year. We still do not have a response from the Ministry of Justice to this problem,” confirmed Carlos Oliveira, President of the Judicial Court of the District of Coimbra.

In response to a request from the Lusa agency, the magistrate stressed that back in May, the decision of the Coimbra County Council confirmed the need to restore the protection of the Palace of Justice, not only for the safety of all its employees, but also for all parties involved in various processes.

“This is not for the convenience of judges or officials. This is really a security issue for the victims, their families and witnesses who are forced to come here,” he stressed.

According to Carlos Oliveira, in addition to the Comarca of Coimbra, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary has also taken steps to find a solution to this problem, but to date “there is no answer.”

The decision of the Governing Council of the Comarca of Coimbra of May mentions that “at least two elements of the PSP, one of which is responsible for the preferential provision of security in the court of criminal investigations”, were “daily and permanently in office”. at the Palace of Justice of Coimbra, for many years.”

However, since the beginning of the year, “both police officers who normally performed duties at the Palais des Justice in Coimbra have ceased to do so due to their retirement”, and the building is “almost five months away”.

According to an order dated May 18, the Governing Council of the District of Coimbra, at the beginning of January, made arrangements for the General Directorate for the Administration of Justice (DGAJ) and the Commander of the District of Coimbra PSP, “for the immediate replacement of the two agents.”

“The response of the PSP District Command of Coimbra was in the sense that it was a paid service. Now, in view of the refusal of PSP to place two agents of this corporation in the Palace of Justice of Coimbra, demanding the payment of an appropriate remuneration, and since this is a dispute regarding the applicable law and its interpretation, which must be resolved between the ministries of justice and internal administration, in February of last year, the GGAJ was asked to overcome described situation,” he says.

According to Comarca de Coimbra’s governing council, the lack of security “endangers the functioning of the court” as well as “the lives and physical integrity of the magistrates, employees, lawyers and other citizens” who visit the building on a daily basis.

The Palace of Justice in Coimbra has a private security service with a security gate installed, “but with only two security officers, who are not enough to ensure the aforementioned security of people and objects.”

In the Palace of Justice of Coimbra, in addition to the Court of Appeal and the services of the State Ministry, the Central Criminal Court, the Local Criminal Court of Coimbra and the Court of Criminal Cases.

The Central Criminal Court and the Criminal Instruction Court have territorial jurisdiction over the entire Comarca of Coimbra, which covers the geographical area of ​​the municipalities of Arganil, Cantanhede, Coimbra, Condeixa a Nova, Figueira da Foz, Gois, Lusa, Mira, Miranda do Corvo , Montemor o Velho, Oliveira do Hospital, Pampilhosa da Serra, Penacova, Penela, Sur, Tabua and Vila Nova de Poyares.