The Lisbon Administrative Court rejected an injunction presented by José Sócrates's defense, maintaining the previous decision that had refused the removal of the court-appointed lawyer representing the former prime minister in the disciplinary proceedings brought against him by the Bar Association.
Sócrates's defense arguments focused on the allegation of illegalities in the conduct of the proceedings by the Bar Association. The court examined these claims and concluded that no irregularities occurred in the way the process was conducted.
This was already Sócrates's second attempt to remove the court-appointed lawyer. The first had also been refused, thus maintaining the representation by the lawyer appointed by the Bar Association.
The disciplinary proceedings against José Sócrates are part of the broader context of investigations involving the former prime minister, including the Face Oculta case and the proceedings for tax fraud and money laundering that led to his arrest in 2009.
