Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 7^th June 2023

 

Good morning – We start with the drought conditions in the Algarve, far different to the very heavy rain experienced in the north of the mainland and Madeira over the last few days.

Safe Communities is a member of the Local Council for Monitoring Climate Action in the Municipality of Loulé (CLA) and therefore participated in the 8th meeting of the CLA on Monday. The meeting was aimed at learning new ways of adapting to droughts, mitigating floods impact, and tackling water shortage in the Algarve. All very relevant.

It was clear from the Minister who attended that, despite the measures already adopted in the Algarve, such as reducing the quota of water for agriculture and golf at the Odeleite dam or the closure of municipal swimming pools, there may be more in the pipeline. If consumption increases substantially and the measures we have adopted are not enough, we will probably have to take more», he admitted.

“We must progressively introduce rational measures, but we also know that we must bet a lot on reducing consumption: the level of consumption this year, in the Algarve, is higher than last year”, he added.

It is not surprising water consumption has increased as in April/May we experienced higher than normal temperatures and there was an increase in tourism. It is important therefore that everyone does their best to conserve water – it is an individual, municipal and national responsibility.

The Madeira is how suffering from an unseasonable depression which has caused record breaking rainfall of over 600 mm of rain in parts of Madeira. We also have folds and heavy downpours accompanied by large hailstorms in parts of the north especially, and also the centre. I between all this there has been some moderate fires but not of a major scale.

What do fires and floods have in common? Simple the effects of extreme weather caused by climate change. In the short term there is little we can do to change this course, but there is much that can be done in reducing the impacts. This why climate adaptation and being prepared by taking the right actions now is so important.

Safe Communities is very much involved in this process in terms of disaster management through risk communication, awareness and preparedness.

On a completely different subject yesterday we posted an item of security of passwords. Many families have internet connected devices for their child or home. Internet connected devices are devices or toys that are connected to the internet via WiFi, Bluetooth or a physical connection like a USB cable. They can also be connected to each other.

Internet connected devices can send and receive data, respond to voice commands and be controlled remotely using a smartphone app. They can also be called ‘the internet of things’. Internet connected devices can have similar risks to devices like smartphones and tablets. For example: baby monitors, children’s tablets and even remote-control helicopters or drone toys, can be hacked and used by people outside of your home These can be more likely to happen if the devices aren’t set up properly and this includes the setting pf passwords. Many will come with a pre-set password for instance 00000000 so it is important to change this to a secure/strong password which you have not used elsewhere. Also check the default setting as this may include a GPS locator which has been activated! A frightening thought for a young child vulnerable in so many ways

News:

Oscar Depression in Madeira: number of homeless people continues to

The Civil Protection Service of Madeira registered a total of 71 occurrences and in Funchal alone there are already 22 people displaced. The rain, meanwhile, began to give a truce.

In Madeira, the rain has started to slow down but the effects of the Óscar depression are still present on the island. SIC reporter Marta Caires updated the latest data on the effects of depression.

“The number of evacuees increased throughout this Tuesday and there are now 22 people left without housing in Funchal alone”, said the journalist.

The Civil Protection Service of Madeira registered a total of 71 occurrences between Monday and Tuesday related to the passage of the depression through the archipelago, mobilizing 72 means and 178 operators.

The south coast and the mountainous regions of the island have been under red warning since 15:00 on Monday due to the forecast of heavy and persistent rain due to the passage of the Óscar depression.

According to the SIC journalist, “the number of landslides and homelessness continues to increase”, taking into account the conditions, the Municipal Civil Protection decided that the best thing is to remove people.

 

Electrical failure affects services of telecommunications operators

Customers of the three telecommunications operators – Meo, Nos and Vodafone – began to report constraints in accessing the internet, shortly before 1600 hrs on Tuesday. The situation was due to a failure in Equinix’s Lisbon ‘data centre’, confirmed the technology company, which has already ensured that all services were “quickly restored”

Today there was a brief interruption in the ‘data center’ of Portugal LS1 International Business Exchange (1BX), which affected some Equinix services”, reads a note made public at 19:00.

The ‘data center’ platform assured that the situation – which was said to be an electrical failure – was “quickly controlled” and that services have already been restored. According to the same note, Equinix is ​​investigating the cause of the problem, which affected, among other companies, several telecommunications operators.

Equinix is ​​present on five continents with more than 200 data centers and provides servers that allow companies around the world to connect with customers and partners anywhere in the world, in addition to storing information.

According to the GigaPIX website, which aggregates national traffic statistics, there was a sharp drop from 15:55 onwards. Traffic values ​​started to recover from 16:30, but still at half-gas.

Caixadireta service suffers breakdown

A malfunction also caused inconvenience to customers of Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD), with the Caixadireta service out of operation. The situation was considered resolved by the bank at 18:00 this Tuesday.

 

Minister does not exclude further restrictive measures due to lack of water in the Algarve.

On 5^th June 2023 Safe Communities as a member of the Local Council for Monitoring Climate Action in the Municipality of Loulé (CLA) participated in the 8th meeting on climate change adaptation in the municipality of Loulé.

The meeting was aimed at learning new ways of adapting to droughts, mitigating floods impact, and tackling water shortage in the Algarve.

Duarte Cordeiro, Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, addressed the audience about, inter alias, waste management and recycling, and what the government is doing in order to reach the same recycling standard as most European countries. Other sessions addressed the role of the private sector in promoting adaptation measures to the changing climate.

Mar Shopping was an emblematic example of how to best make use of renewable energy to make the centre the most sustainable. Practices included implementing solar panels, recycling practices, reusing rainwater, installing sustainable internal lighting system among others. It was indeed a great meeting and we look forward to the next one to follow up on the developments of the initiatives presented today!

Duarte Cordeiro, did not exclude, in the coming months, there will be even more restrictive measures due to the lack of water in the Algarve.

Speaking to journalists, on the side lines of the initiative, Duarte Cordeiro admitted that, despite the measures already adopted in the Algarve, such as reducing the quota of water for agriculture and golf at the Odeleite dam or the closure of municipal swimming pools, there may be more in the pipeline.

If consumption increases substantially and the measures we have adopted are not enough, we will probably have to take more», he admitted.

Asked about what kind of actions could be foreseen, Duarte Cordeiro did not want to “make speculations”.

“We must progressively introduce rational measures, but we also know that we must bet a lot on reducing consumption: the level of consumption this year, in the Algarve, is higher than last year», he added”.

 

 

Portugal Safety and Security report Wednesday 31^st May 2023.

Good day to you all. The big talking point for many across the whole of the country has been the weather! Why are we all so fascinated by it? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that in Portugal we are all so dependent on water whether to consume or to use as irrigation. The fact that we are a very hot dry country for the most of the time also makes us look more closely when the weather pattern doesn’t run true to form.

The storms which included large hailstones and over 70,000 instances of Lightning across the country but mainly  affecting the North of the country have been very welcome for some and not so welcome for others. Wine Growers in the North of the country are reporting that many thousands of Euros will be lost as a result of the hailstones smashing into the vines.

In Castedo do Douro, in the municipality of Alijó, dozens of vineyards were affected by rain and hail. The municipalities of Alijó and Murça were among those most affected. The hail destroyed many vineyards and the producers speak of a loss of thousands of euros.

The storm that swept across the Douro region on Sunday afternoon, especially in the Vila Real district, lasted less than 10 minutes, but left its marks on hundreds of hectares of vineyards and olive groves.

Following the heavy hail and rain, the Municipality of Alijó has been on the ground surveying the damage caused to agriculture, with the aim of moving forward with a measure to help the affected farmers to bear the cost of calcium-based treatment needed for the healing of the vines.

The Municipality will pay for the treatment of the vineyards affected by the intense hail that hit an area of about 1,600 hectares, revealed the president.

From one area with heavy rain to another where there isn’t enough. The Alentejo farmers are having to sell off their cattle because their pastures are so dry and the cost of feed is so high they cannot afford to feed them so they are sending them to market much earlier than they would normally. This will impact on their value and their yearly income and many fear for the long term of farming livestock.

The forecast for the coming week is more of the same in some areas but with sunshine and clouds along the way. Temperatures will be around 1 degree higher than the average while some areas can expect up to 30 mm of rain.

So with that our team at Safe Communities wishes you a Safe and happy week ahead

News

Campaign “Tax Zero at the Wheel” registers almost 14 thousand infractions on the roads

Lisbon, May 30, 2023 (Lusa) – The road safety campaign “Taxa Zero ao Volante” recorded almost 14,000 infractions and around 2,500 accidents between May 23 and 29, security forces revealed today.

In a statement sent to newsrooms, the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR), the Public Security Police (PSP) and the National Republican Guard (GNR) revealed that 54,953 vehicles were inspected, translating into 13,846 infractions, of which 747 were related to driving under the influence of alcohol.

During the period during which this awareness-raising action on the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol, as part of the 2023 National Inspection Plan, took place, there were still eight deaths, 48 ​​serious injuries and 761 minor injuries in around 2,500 accidents.

This year’s figures reflect a decrease compared to the figures for the same period in 2022, with 87 fewer accidents, three fewer deaths, 11 fewer serious injuries and 85 fewer minor injuries.

The authorities also clarified that the accidents with fatalities occurred in the districts of Braga, Porto (2), Castelo Branco, Leiria, Lisbon, Évora and Faro, with the victims (5) between 21 and 82 years old. At the origin of these deaths were five light vehicles skidding, two being run over and a collision between two light vehicles.

The vast majority of inspection actions in Portugal were carried out by the GNR, with 39,076 vehicles inspected, while the PSP inspected 15,877 vehicles. In terms of infractions, the difference between the two security forces is smaller, with the GNR registering 8,649 (494 related to alcohol) and the PSP registering 5,197 (253 related to driving under the influence of alcohol).

310 drivers and passengers were also made aware by ANSR of the risks of drinking alcohol while driving, in the locations of Alenquer, Faro, Beja, Portalegre and Estremoz, in addition to publicizing the road safety campaign in digital media.

Drought: Brussels could provide 250 million euros to help farmers

This fund was made at the request of the Minister of Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes, who had the support of the countries of southern Europe, which were the most affected by the lack of precipitation.

The European Union could provide 250 million euros to help farmers affected by drought. The request was made by the Portuguese Minister of Agriculture, supported by the delegations of Spain, France and Italy. Maria do Céu Antunes said this Tuesday that the decision will be taken soon.

“The commissioner made himself available to study the possibility of mobilizing 250 million euros from the agricultural reserve to deal with these situations and for the Member States most affected by this dimension. It’s going to study, it’s going to regulate, it’s going to propose later so that we can present it”, informed Maria do Céu Antunes.

This Tuesday, the Environment Minister assured that the situation of the reservoirs is better and with more capacity than last year, but that there are some regions in worrying situations that will have to be analyzed in order to implement new measures.

With this scenario, there are already records that, without pastures for the cattle, due to the drought, and with feed and straw at high prices, cattle breeders in Baixo Alentejo are getting rid of the animals at auctions or at slaughterhouses. .

“Extensive livestock farming is having very serious problems because the pastures have not been developed and with that we are witnessing the use of compound feed ahead of time and with very high prices”, he developed

In view of this, the Minister of Agriculture stressed the urgency with which the funds had to be implemented to resolve the situation and to take precautions for next year.

Israeli and Italian secret agents were on the boat that sank Sunday in Italy

A vessel carrying Italian and foreign tourists sank on Sunday in northern Italy. Four people died and about 20 passengers were pulled from the water or managed to swim to shore.

Today, in a statement, Alfredo Mantovano, of the Italian Information Security Services, mourned the death of Claudio Alonzi, 62 years old, and Tiziana Barboni, 53 years old, both members of the Italian secret services who were on the ship “to commemorate the anniversary of one of the members of the group”.

Also killed in the sinking was Israeli Shimoni Erez, 50 years old and a retired Mossad agent, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The fourth victim is Anya Bozhkova, a Russian citizen and the wife of the boat’s owner, who rented it to tourists.

The remaining passengers on board the ship were also Italians and Israelis and there were certainly other members of the secret services, according to local media.

The vessel, on which a group of 22 people and the two crew were traveling, sank in the Lisanza and Dormelletto region, in the Lombardy region, due to a strong storm that caused it to capsize.

Most people managed to swim to shore between Lisanza and Piccaluga, while others were rescued by boats in the area.

According to the Italian media that reconstructed the event, after the accident there were suspicions that there were more secret service agents on the boat.

Authorities are investigating the causes of the accident, as the boat was carrying more than 20 people and had capacity for only 15 and also the reason why they did not return to land when the storm approached.

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 24^th May 2023

Good morning – Firstly thanks to thank our great team of volunteers at Safe Communities Portugal who attended the 8^th international Wildland Fire Conference in Porto where an E-Poster of our work was displayed; holding a meeting with the foreign community in Braga, having a stand al ALGARSAFE’23 in Portimão, the presentation on Risk awareness at ALGARSAFE’23 and the presentation at Eupheus International School in Loulé – an unprecedented number of events in such a short period of time for Safe Communities. Thanks therefore go to: Jane, Antonia, Susan, Jessica, Fernanda, Mike, Lilia for their hard work during the planning/implementation stages.

For us at Safe Communities Portugal attending the 8^th International Wildland conference in Porto as a delegate was an enlightening experience but looking at the future a sobering one as far as wildfires are concerned.

The conference attended by around 1600 participants from 80 countries including three of us from Safe Communities Portugal listened to a selection of the 200 presentations covering amongst other: planning and preparation, prevention and fire suppression, risk handling, communication and international co-operation.

The main theme of the conference was enabling an integrated management approach to wild fires involving not only governments, but also academia, civil society, industries and the community; the focus being more on prevention rather than suppression only, which had previously been the case. This may seem obvious, as if all fires could be prevented then there would be no need for suppression. However this is not the case and as we learned.

Globally recent extreme weather events have caused unprecedented damages and impacts on communities, economies and the environment. Climate change is the key driver behind the growing occurrence of extreme wildfires. Under projected warning, wildfire frequency and severity are estimated to increase, calling for a fundamental shift in wildfire management to focus on climate change adaptation and wildfire risk prevention.

We therefore all need to be prepared. As a first step we all need to understand the risks as without understand risk, we can’t manage it and be prepared.

This year will be a more complex year that last year, when in Portugal there were many fires over 80% being in the north.

The risks of fires extends extend well beyond southern Europe basin and last year there were wild fires in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and as far north as Finland. At the wildland fire conference I spoke to a forestry director from Ireland and we discussed the fires that affected western Ireland last year, which proved difficult to extinguish, due to their remoteness. Having discussed with him he saw parallels with the fires we also experienced in the northern parts of Portugal last year particularly in Braganca and Sera da Estrela.

So sharing knowledge, experience and co-operation between countries is vitally important in tackling a common threat.  In global terms, vulnerabilities have increased and that we are more and more likely – in various parts of the world – to have more complex and larger events and international cooperation is absolutely critical in this matter”.

For us in Portugal what can we expect this year? Well so far in April we have had record air temperatures and the type of weather conditions more associated with late June than April. All this means that we need to not only be prepared, but need to inculcate within the population a “culture of preparedness”, meaning that we have to live with fires, with the aim of reducing the impact on populations and communities.

Have a good and safe week ahead

News

Drought: excessive consumption of water and without authorization are a concern in the eastern Algarve

Golf courses with excessive consumption and irrigation without authorization must suffer water cuts in the event of restrictions on consumption in agriculture, defends the Association of Beneficiaries of the Sotavento do Algarve Irrigation Plan.

Golf courses with excessive consumption and irrigation without authorization must suffer water cuts in the event of restrictions on consumption in agriculture, warned the president of the Association of Beneficiaries of the Sotavento do Algarve Irrigation Plan.

Speaking to Lusa, the president of the association that manages the irrigation perimeter in the eastern Algarve, Macário Correia, warned that six golf courses were involved that consumed more than required and about 200 hectares of irrigation outside the irrigation perimeter. , but who use water without authorization.

“We have two critical situations, one is golf courses that use – in previous years – twice as much as they require, and we have an area of ​​a few hundred hectares of agricultural irrigation outside the perimeter without authorization”, pointed out the former president of the Chambers of Tavira and Faro.

The irrigation association has “serious concerns about the situation”, because water consumption in this campaign is about 20% above the same period of the previous year and the Odeleite and Beliche dams have a lower storage level than last year. Macário Correia even stressed that the association has already communicated in writing, both to the golf courses and to farmers who are in areas not authorized to use water, that, given the situation of restrictions that may be imposed in the short term, they will have to “to count on it”.

The director of the association considered that the situation “is delicate” and guaranteed that he would also speak with the managers of the golf courses, because “it is very complicated” to have cases that required 300 cubic meters of water and used 600 and that “at this moment I they have already used 60% of the appropriation they require for the year”.

There are also at least 200 hectares of agricultural irrigation, outside the irrigation perimetre , which collect water inside the perimeter, but water outside without authorization.

“The water that exists in the reservoirs, first of all, is for drinking, it is for the urban cycle, then it is for agriculture and, within agriculture, if there is not enough for everyone, we have to cut it somewhere”.

At least 15 detainees and 29 defendants in GNR operation in Greater Porto

The operation involves more than 300 operators and is related to an investigation into thefts from homes, inside vehicles and commercial establishments across the country.

The GNR mega-operation that is taking place this Tuesday in the Porto district resulted in at least 15 people arrested, 29 accused, seizures of drugs, gold, clothing, food, ammunition, money, banknotes and cars, he added.

Speaking to Lusa, at 13:00, Lieutenant Colonel Adriano Resende, from the Maia GNR sub-detachment, explained that searches had been carried out so far in the municipalities of Vila Nova de Gaia, Maia, Matosinhos, Paços de Ferreira, Porto and Gondomar.

The detainees, he said, are between 25 and 85 years old.

“So far, and there is still another search to take place (…), 29 ammunition, a kilo of gold, hashish, three vehicles, 20,000 euros in cash, 50 euros in counterfeit banknotes, an unspecified amount of clothing, food (meat, cod, ham and shrimp), costume jewellery, branded watches and computer equipment”, he listed.

The operation, which involved over 300 operators and by 1:00 pm, had already resulted in 29 people being accused, including 15 arrested, two of whom were arrested in whilst caught in the act for possession of drugs, illegal possession of a weapon and counterfeit bills. .

Those involved would be part of a criminal network that was dedicated to theft from homes and commercial establishments across the country.

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 10^th May 2023

Good morning – There has been much attention recently on the drought situation both in Portugal but in particular, in Spain, but also in France as well

The French Pyrénées – Orientales department, which borders Spain’s Catalonia autonomous region, will be officially declared to be at drought “crisis” level from 10 May 2023, when bans on car-washing, garden-watering, and pool-filling will also come into effect. This first set of water restrictions is an effort to conserve water resources and prioritises drinking water above other usages.

There are currently over 40 “départements” in France, amounting to nearly half the country, which are officially at “alert” or “vigilance” levels of drought. The Pyrénées-Orientales will become the fourth district to declare a “crisis” drought level.

Turning to Portugal, in particular the Algarve my colleague Mike Evans has written an excellent report for today on the drought situation drawn from various sources of information and what is being done to address this issue. He compares various areas of the Algarve and in particular the serious situation facing farmers in the east. Please read the Algarve Report today – thank you Mike

This is mirrored in a feature by Antonia Vignolo a consultant in disaster management and climate change adaption, in a feature for the Algarve Resident out tomorrow, in which she states that there are different measures that governments can take in order to mitigate the impacts of droughts.

Public awareness sessions about water scarcity and conservation can prompt individuals to adopt water saving practices. Recycling and reusing wastewater can help to conserve water resources and reduce the demand for freshwater during droughts. Developing water storage facilities such as dams, reservoirs, and aquifer storage and recovery systems can help to store water during wet periods and supply it during droughts.

Other practices include implementing measures to reduce water demand such as promoting water-efficient technologies, developing drought-tolerant crops, and reducing water-intensive activities. And Adopting land management practices such as reforestation, soil conservation, and reducing soil erosion. Thank you Antonia.

So as you can see this is an issue which is at the top of our minds on our team at Safe Communities, as there are bound to be an increasingly severe impact as droughts intensify – as they will. If you are purchasing property in rural areas we recommend that you do as much research as possible on water supply, as boreholes in some areas are running dry, with owners therefore having reply on water delivery to their homes.

Another impact apart from drought, is that high temperatures and lack of rainfall are related to rural fires. On 18^th to 20^th May Safe Communities Portugal will have a stand at the ALGARSAFE’23 Portimão International Civil Protection and Relief Fair at the Portimão Arena and the Fairs and Exhibitions Park. Thus is initiative co-organized by the Portimão City Council and the Bombeiros de Portimão, with the support from the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC). With over 70 exhibitors there will be much to see and learn for the whole family.

On Saturday 20th May from 12.00 to 13:00 hrs there will be group presentation with questions and answers on “Disaster Risk Communication for Foreign Communities” facilitated by Safe Communities Portugal. This session will be delivered in English, involving the different players in risk communication and interpretation of warning and alert systems, with the participation of: Republican National Guard, Institute of Nature Conservation and Forestry, National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority and the Municipality of Civil Protection of Portimão.

This is for the foreign community and the presentations will be English There will be much to learn from this as by understanding what, when, and where a disaster might happen, how severe it could be, and who would be most affected. If we don’t understand risk, we can’t manage it. So we ask you to attend.

Registration at the ALGARSAFE’23 secretariat (desk) on the day or by email: eventos@ahbvp.pt. Free registration, limited to the number of places available.

Our team at Safe Communities wish you a safe week ahead.

News

Average Speed Cameras

The new average speed cameras that are planned to be introduced are already being tested in 14 locations. There is still no date for entry into operation. Know where they are and how they will work.

How Average Speed cameras work

The average speed cameras are different from the equipment that is already found in various parts of the national road network and that are also used by the police authorities, namely the PSP and the GNR. There are two devices that are placed at the beginning and end of a section with a high accident rate. The first equipment, equipped with a camera, photographs the license plate and the exact time of passage of the vehicle and the second registers, again, the time and the license plate. These radars then calculate the average speed between the two points to understand whether or not the driver complied with the legal speed limits on the section in question.

Where are they being tested?

Portugal acquired 10 medium speed cameras that will monitor, on a rotating basis, 20 locations with high accident rates. At the moment, the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) is testing them in 14 locations covering national roads, motorways and complementary itineraries, namely on the IC1, in Beja; on the A1 and EN109, in Coimbra; on the A6 and IP2, in Évora; on the EN10, on the EN6-7 and on the IC19, in Lisbon; on the A3, in Porto; on the A1, in Santarém; and on the EN10, EN378, EN4 and IC1, in Setúbal.

What is the difference between a fixed camera and an average speed camera?

Both speed cameras have a deterrent effect and generally force most drivers to reduce speed. Fixed radar works best on a black spot (ie a specific location on a road where serious accidents systematically occur, exacerbated by excessive speed). The average speed radar, on the other hand, is more suitable for roads, where there are sections of a few kilometres with high levels of accidents, and can monitor several lanes.

ANSR’s ambition (supported by experience with this equipment abroad) is for drivers to reduce the speed of movement on these sections and, with that, a decrease in the number of accidents. Traffic speed is one of the main causes of road accidents, in particular accidents with serious injuries and fatalities.

Will the speed cameras be placed at the same distance on all roads?

No. The distance of the installation of the radars and, consequently, the area controlled by the authorities, will depend on the characteristics of each section. Although, on average, these devices cover areas of up to 10 kilometres, they will not stay that far on all roads.

Everything will depend on the specific conditions of the portion of the road to be inspected. According to ANSR, there will be sections that will be between three and four kilometres apart.

Will drivers be warned of the existence of speed cameras?

Yes. In addition to the on-site signage (a traffic sign, H42, was created in 2022), the location and date of entry into operation of the radars will also be published on the ANSR website. There is still no date for the start of operation of the equipment.

Citius computer system that serves the courts collapses

The alert was given by the Union of Judicial Employees, which ensures that the system has collapsed across the country as a result of updates that could last until the end of the week. The Ministry of Justice guarantees that it was “a momentary unavailability, for a period of less than 20 minutes” and that the situation is already normalized.

The Union of Judicial Employees (SFJ) warned this Tuesday that the Citrus computer system “collapsed” across the country, as a result of updates that could last until the end of the week, related to the electronic drawing of processes.

António Marçal, president of the SFJ, told the Lusa agency that he had information that these updates relate to the entry into force this week of the new regime for the electronic drawing of cases in the courts.

The Ministry of Justice reacted, however, to this complaint, guaranteeing that it was “a momentary unavailability, for a period of less than 20 minutes (between 2:05 pm and 2:23 pm), in accessing computer services and telephone numbers of Justice, due to a problem in an equipment”.

“Contrary to what was conveyed through some media, this interruption is not related to the development work to make available the new model for electronic distribution of processes. The normal operation of all systems has already been re-established, after updating the said equipment”, underlined the cabinet of Minister Catarina Sarmento e Castro.

The SFJ pointed out that the problem arises at a time when there are already several other delays in the courts, namely because of the strikes that judicial officials have carried out.

He exemplified with the case of the Court of Seixal, where there are processes for distribution since January 2023, while in the Public Ministry of Seixal the processes to register and distribute are about 2,000, papers to register about 1,500, emails to handle more than 600.