Criminal Instruction Court attached to the Juvenile Court "is a bad option"

The Criminal Instruction Court attached to the Juvenile Court in the Azores was created by decision of the former presiding judge of the District of the Azores, a choice that a member of the National Board of the Portuguese Judges' Union considers to be a bad option. The decision goes against all international guidelines that recommend that juvenile courts should function autonomously and specialized, separated from common criminal courts. The creation of this judge at the juvenile court may compromise the necessary specialization to deal with cases involving minors. The member of the National Board of the Portuguese Judges' Union warns that this structure may not guarantee adequate procedural safeguards when compared to independent specialized courts.