Tribunal Constitucional
Published 8 November 2026, 22:47
TC — Tribunal Constitucional (Constitutional Court of Portugal)
The court responsible for all matters of constitutional law (Article 221). It reviews laws in two ways: in advance, when the President asks it to examine the text of a law sent for signature before signing it; and afterwards, once the rule is in force, on an appeal against a decision of an ordinary court or on a request to declare a provision unconstitutional with general binding force.
Where you come across it. News about a new law: “the President has sent the law to the Constitutional Court”, “the court found no violations”.
The President must request this review before signing, within eight days of receiving the text. If the court finds a provision unconstitutional, the President must veto it and return the text to the body that passed it; parliament then either drops that provision or confirms the text by a two-thirds majority. If the court finds no violations, that does not yet mean the law is in force: it still has to be promulgated and published in the Diário da República.
Official website: tribunalconstitucional.pt