A survey conducted by the Portuguese Business Association (AEP) among its member companies identified excessive procedural bureaucracy and long response times from courts as the main obstacles to Justice functioning for the business community. The president of AEP, Luís Miguel Ribeiro, noted that the slowness of Justice represents an economic cost for companies, resulting in immobilized financial resources, uncertainty, difficulties in debt recovery, and delayed business decisions. A Justice system that takes too long to decide ultimately ceases to be effective, he considered.
Business leaders also warned about the unpredictability in the duration of proceedings, often prolonged by successive appeals or initiatives considered merely dilatory. This situation ultimately benefits the party interested in extending the dispute or the non-compliant party, preventing judgments from occurring in a timely manner. The negative impact extends to attracting investment in the country, according to the results of the flash survey launched by AEP in August.
As priority measures to improve Justice efficiency, companies pointed to the need for greater digitalization of processes and the use of artificial intelligence, as well as preventing systematic postponements and stricter rules on deadlines for final decisions. Luís Miguel Ribeiro argued that it is necessary to directly confront bureaucracy and slowness, eliminating practices that allow successive postponement of proceedings and ensuring greater discipline in deadlines.
AEP's position will be presented to the Ministry of Justice, led by Minister Rita Alárnio Júdice. This is not the first time the business association has addressed these problems with the ministry. In 2025, AEP had already met with the minister to present a set of demands focused on problems at the registry offices, proposing the strengthening of digital skills of human resources, improved customer service through better distribution of online requests, and updating digital platforms.
