acórdão
Published 30 October 2026, 20:39
acórdão (court ruling)
A decision given by a panel of judges rather than by a single judge, which is what distinguishes it from a sentença, a single judge's decision. This is how the higher courts and the Constitutional Court decide cases. A ruling is always in writing, dated and signed by the judges, and it is sent to the parties. The number is written like this: Acórdão n.º 736/2026 — the 736th ruling of 2026.
Where you come across it. A news story about a court decision, a reference in a lawyer's letter, someone else's dispute with a public body cited as a precedent.
A ruling usually decides a case on its merits, but it can also be purely procedural. Before you rely on a summary in the news, find the text itself: the Constitutional Court publishes all its rulings on its website by number.
Official website: diariodarepublica.pt/dr/lexionario/termo/acordao