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| Constitutional Court | |
|---|---|
| Tribunal Constitucional | |
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 Interactive map of Constitutional Court | |
| Established | 1982 |
| Jurisdiction | Portugal |
| Location | Lisbon |
| Composition method | 10 justices elected by the Assembly of the Republic, 3 justices elected byco-option |
| Authorised by | Portuguese Constitution |
| Appeals to | None |
| Judge term length | 9 years, with no possible reelection |
| Number of positions | 13 justices |
| Website | www |
| President of the Constitutional Court | |
| Currently | José João Abrantes |
| Since | 26 April 2023 |
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| Constitution |
TheConstitutional Court (Portuguese:Tribunal Constitucional,pronounced[tɾiβuˈnalkõʃtitusiuˈnal]) is thesupremeconstitutional court ofPortugal.[1] It is defined by thePortuguese Constitution as part of the judicial branch of thePortuguese political organization. Unlike the rest of the country's courts, the Constitutional Court has important characteristics, such as a special composition, and unique competences. The main task of the court isto review theconstitutionality of the newly approved laws, but it also has important powers related to thepresident of the republic, thepolitical parties, and referendums.
The Portuguese Constitution defines the Constitutional Court as a completely independent organ that operates independently from the other branches of government, such as the executive or the legislative. The justices of the Constitutional Court are independent and cannot be impeached. The decisions of the court are above the decisions of any other authority.
The court convenes inLisbon, in theRatton Palace located inBairro Alto.
The court is composed by thirteen justices, ten of whom are elected by theAssembly of the Republic, the main legislative branch of the country, and they must be elected by two thirds majority of the members of the Assembly. The remaining three are elected by the already elected justices. Of the thirteen justices, six must be chosen among the general court's judges, the remaining must have at least a degree in law. The justices serve a nine-year mandate and cannot be re-elected.
The Constitutional Court elects its own president and vice-president and approves its own rules, schedule and budget.
Thepresident of the Constitutional Court (together with thepresident of the Supreme Court) is the fourth person in the Portuguese state hierarchy (after thepresident of the republic, thepresident of the Assembly of the Republic, and theprime minister, in that order) and has several competences, such as conducting the relations between the court and the other authorities, receiving the candidatures for president of the republic and presiding the court's sessions. The current president (as of 2023[update]) isJosé João Abrantes.[2]
The Constitutional Court has several competences, defined in the Constitution, such as:
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