Luís Rufo was tried in Braga for 141 crimes of usurpation of professional functions. The defendant practiced law for three decades without ever having completed a law degree.
Rufo was registered with the Bar Association since 1992, which allowed him to practice the profession in a legalized manner throughout that entire period, deceiving his clients and the competent authorities.
The trial took place at the Judicial Court of Braga, where the charges related to usurpation of functions were presented throughout more than 30 years of illegal professional activity.
This case represents one of the largest schemes of illegal practice of law ever discovered in Portugal, raising questions about the monitoring and control mechanisms of the Bar Association.
