As 'conversas informais' extraprocessuais como meio de prova em processo penal

In the present thesis, we examine the approach to the so-called “informal conversations”, especially between a suspect or defendant and criminal police authorities. Our goal is to understand if criminal police authorities are allowed to testify about the content of these conversations, revealing facts that the suspect or defendant may have shared with them, as well as about evidence that they may have acquired through these statements. Firstly, we briefly present the notion of “informal conversations” and the great variety of situations they may encompass: intra or extra-procedural; prior or subsequent to someone acquires the status of defendant. Secondly, we analyse some of the principles and rules that are involved in this controversial issue: principles concerning the procedural structure, organization and dynamic; principles concerning the production and assessment of evidence in the trial hearing; principles concerning the prosecution and the powers of criminal police authorities; the procedural status of the defendant; the rules concerning the reading of statements in the trial hearing; the rules concerning hearsay testimonies. Thirdly, we go through the great amount of case law on the so-called “informal conversations” and related matters, analysing the most relevant cases and the arguments that sustain them, as well as the legal literature. Our goal is to understand the evolution, throughout the last two decades, of the different opinions regarding the approach to the various situations in which “informal conversations” may occur and in which the admissibility of a testimony by criminal police authorities is questioned. Finally, we defend a different approach for testimonies by criminal police authorities prior and subsequent to someone acquiring the status of defendant. We see the moment when someone acquires the status of defendant as a border area in the admissibility of “informal conversations”, because from then on the statements have to be collected and assessed according to the law, so all the other conversations (or any other evidence) collected informally are irrelevant. As to the specific case of the testimony about the re-enactment of the crime, given the high degree of difficulty in separating the defendant’s contributions that may be considered essential and those that may be considered less useful, but still relevant, we support the qualification of the defendant’s contributions as inseparable from the re-enactment, allowing it to be replicated and assessed in the trial hearing with no restrictions.

A participação da sociedade civil no processo de elaboração das leis federais brasileiras

The public consultation is a methodology for the interaction between the bodies responsible for drafting the law and the parties likely to be affected or to be interested in normative acts in question. This work seeks to encourage the use of public consultation in the process of elaboration of the Brazilian law. Therefore, some aspect of the knowledge area called Science of Legislation, with attention to the concept of “quality of the law” and to of the public consultation tool are addressed. We present the advantages of preparing public consultation mainly in the case of proposals that impose costs or benefits relevant to the economic agents involved in or promoting major change in the distribution of resources in society. Finally, it discusses the Brazilian legislative procedure and what the Brazilian law requires from legislative projects forwarded to the National Congress, as well as build a synthesis of the tools and the exiting possibilities of participation in the Brazilian context of elaboration of norms.

A harmonização fiscal europeia

With this dissertation we aim to analyze the most relevant aspects of the excise duties harmonized regime, considering Community origins, but having also in attention all legal specifications of its implementation in Portugal. The legal regime of excise duties is presented as an ambitious theme, considering the challenge of different branches of law that influence this subject, such as Tax, Economic and Community laws, the inescapable influence of customs procedures, or regarding environmental objectives. In the European context, the harmonization of excise duties was seen as a condition for the implementation of the internal market, contributing to undo secular tax barriers between Member States and, since so, ensure fair competition and free movement of services and goods. Along with VAT, the excise duties harmonization process could represent a potential European tax system, essential for a full and integrated single market. In this context, it is essential to pay special attention to specific characteristics of excise duties regime, such as ‘duty suspension arrangement’ applicable during the production phase, storage and movement in certain conditions. The growing importance of excise duties, as for revenue or extra-fiscal purposes, recommends new academic studies on this subject, seeking new opportunities and challenges.

The effectiveness of the “Processo Especial de Revitalização” as an instrument of corporate restructuring in the context of the current economic crisis

This work project intends to evaluate the effectiveness of the Portuguese Government’s strategy to promote the orderly deleveraging of the corporate sector in the context of the current economic crisis. The recommendations of the Troika and the commitments assumed under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government in 2011 required the creation of formal processes to avoid disorderly deleveraging. Conclusions and recommendations were drawn based on past experiences of large-scale corporate restructuring strategies in other countries and on the analysis of financial and statistical data on companies applying for “Programa Especial de Revitalização”.

O impacto do quadro institucional da SADC no seu processo de integração económica

Presentemente, a Comunidade para o Desenvolvimento da África Austral (SADC) apresenta-se como uma das mais desenvolvidas tentativas de integração do continente africano. Esta organização passou a revestir-se, em 1992, de um caráter permanente, tornando-se produto de um esforço de institucionalização que se tem vindo a materializar no estabelecimento de metas e estágios para um ambicioso projeto de integração económica. As suas instituições, frequentemente percecionadas como sendo regidas por uma lógica intergovernamental, serão a unidade focal desta análise. Esta tem como principal objetivo a verificação do seu impacto no processo de integração económica desta organização, particularmente o estabelecimento de uma relação de causalidade entre a estrutura institucional e o atual estado da vertente económica do processo integrativo. Procura-se assim inferir se o quadro institucional da organização é capaz de gerar uma dinâmica autónoma em prol da integração ou se sucumbe perante o voluntarismo estatal dos seus membros. A conclusão a que se chegará, como se pretende advogar, não implica dimensões mutuamente exclusivas, podendo traduzir-se numa conceção híbrida acerca do papel institucional no curso evolutivo da SADC, porventura mais fiel à complexidade deste bloco regional. A hipótese explicativa para o atual estado integrativo (económico) da SADC que se testará nesta análise será a de que a relativa fragilidade institucional desta organização - caso tal se verifique - não a impede de se desenvolver num curto a médio-prazo e, pelo contrário, constitui um dos incentivos à participação dos Estados Membros. Argumentar-se-á adicionalmente que os interesses integrativos dos Estados que a compõem não derivam de um qualquer espírito pós ou antinacional, mas antes de um condicionamento histórico favorável à cooperação intra-africana e de um cálculo de interesses que redunda na aceção de que a ação concertada entre Estados lhes confere vantagens estratégicas. Por isso mesmo, os modelos teóricos que substanciarão a análise, ainda que recorram por vezes aos moldes seminais derivados do estudo da experiência integrativa europeia, abarcarão também um conjunto de escolhas plásticas e maleáveis à realidade regional. Dentro do leque de estudos disponíveis, primar-se-á igualmente pela flexibilidade e abrangência. A difícil conciliação entre profundidade e abrangência redundará numa escolha de relevantes e úteis correntes teóricas, na qual se destacam o institucionalismo histórico e o institucionalismo da escolha racional, bem como o intergovernamentalismo liberal, o neofuncionalismo e a teoria do dominó aplicada aos blocos regionais.

Derecho administrativo comunitario

The globalization and the need for countries to unite under regional organizations fostered the emergency of a Communitary law. This isa law made bysupranational institutions capable of submitting States toa single legal order. Thistransforms administrative law on international administrative law that overflows the national legal system. This phenomenon was felt on Colombia given the current development of the Andean Integration System

O processo tradutório em contexto jornalístico: a tradução e a transedição na redação

O interesse pela área de investigação de tradução em jornalismo aumentou após o projeto Translation in Global News da Universidade de Warwick em 2006. No entanto, esta é uma área ainda pouco explorada pelos Estudos de Tradução, tal como afirma van Doorslaer (2010), e como se pode comprovar no contexto português, pelo número escasso de trabalhos publicados. O presente estudo pretende analisar o processo de tradução em contexto jornalístico recorrendo, para tal, a uma metodologia com base nas abordagens cognitivas em Estudos de Tradução. Através da gravação de ecrã, foi possível observar, em tempo real, o processo de criação do texto jornalístico de jornalistas da redação do jornal online Observador. Desta maneira, procura-se enquadrar o conceito de transedição, proposto por Stetting (1989). Além disso, espera-se compreender a pertinência das abordagens cognitivas enquanto ferramentas que permitem melhor compreender os processos mentais tradutórios e a aplicabilidade das estratégias propostas por Hursti (2001) na tradução em jornalismo.

O poder legislativo no processo de consolidação democrática em Cabo Verde

O presente trabalho visa à composição de breve contextualização do histórico em que nasceu a democracia cabo-verdiana e as principais etapas que ao longo dos anos foi vencendo, rumo à almejada consolidação democrática, analisando em pormenor o papel do Legislativo para tanto. Nesse sentido, pretendemos neste estudo responder a seguinte pergunta de partida: “Qual o impacto do papel desempenhado pelo Legislativo no processo de consolidação democrática em Cabo Verde nesses últimos 20 anos?”. Este estudo nasce da necessidade de colmatar um vazio, quase que absoluto, no que diz respeito à análise do funcionamento, organização e estrutura da instituição parlamentar em Cabo Verde. Por isso, ao realizarmos esta investigação pretendemos alcançar dois objectivos principais: Averiguar até que ponto o papel do Parlamento contribuiu para a almejada consolidação democrática em Cabo Verde; Examinar de forma detalhada a evolução longitudinal da Assembleia de Cabo Verde ao longo de sua experiência democrática. Para tal, serão analisadas três áreas importantes do funcionamento desta instituição, de 1991 a 2011: o processo legislativo, os mecanismos de controlo e fiscalização ao governo e a função de legitimação. Todavia, temos a perfeita consciência de que as três dimensões seleccionadas não esgotam os campos de análise de contribuição parlamentar para o reforço da democracia. No entanto, pretendemos com o estudo tentar informar e dar a conhecer, de forma científica e académica, a actuação da instituição parlamentar no processo de consolidação democrática em Cabo Verde, com uma abordagem diferente dos poucos estudos já realizados.

US fiscal dynamics in political perspective

Given the importance of fiscal balance for ensuring a sustainable fiscal policy, we conduct an empirical examination of fiscal dynamics in the United States in response to unsustainable budget deviations. We concentrate on the role of political factors, namely the Republican - Democrat presidential divide, in determining the fiscal response to budget disequilibria. Making use of an asymmetric cointegration framework, we explore politically motivated fiscal asymmetries in the US, from Eisenhower to Obama. We conclude that political factors such as the government’s political quadrant and the timing of elections are important determinants of the fiscal response to unsustainable budget deviations.

O processo sumário e a reforma do Código do Processo Penal de 2013

The present work aims to develop the theme "The summary procedure and the reform of 2013". The purpose of its analysis serves the interest to understand the virtues and disadvantages of the changes introduced by Act n.º 20/2013 to our Code of Criminal Procedure, and the main focus of the present reflection is to further the impact of the measures taken by the legislator to the summary proceedings. The opening of the most serious crimes to summary procedure is a reform measure duly highlighted because it is a true innovation in the Portuguese penal system. Therefore, it urges to analyse not only the consequences of this measure, as well as if the objectives of its introduction in the summary procedure system are met. It should be noted that the legislator intends to promote speedy trial, and at the same time, ensure compliance with the Constitutional rights associated to the accused. At this point it is important to realize if there is a restriction of the accused essential guarantees. On the other hand, it should be noted that the typical characteristics of summary proceedings might have been invariably modified, due to the innovative aspect of the reform. That said, the changes might have fostered a mischaracterization of the typical format of the summary procedure, both in terms of the nature of the proceedings and in terms of its space and objectives within the penal system. Reflecting on the above will provide a deeper understanding of the volatile balance between the Portuguese governing prosecution efficiency and the Constitution, as well as the future of the criminal policy in Portugal.

A presunção de inocência nas fases preliminares do processo penal

This study analyses the principle of presumption of innocence in the preliminary stages of the Portuguese criminal process, its procedural aspect related with the principle of in dubio pro reo and its material aspect concerning the treatment of the defendant during the proceedings. The consequences and manifestations of the principle of presumption of innocence are analysed in the decisions of the closing stages of the preliminary criminal procedure and the application of the principle of in dubio pro reo is analysed in the judgement of sufficiency of evidence for the procedure to continue. It addresses the question of circumstantial evidence, its particular relevance in economic and financial crime, highly organized crime, the grounds for the indictment in general and when the sufficiency of evidence criteria is based on that evidence. It analyses the scope of the principle of presumption of innocence in the application of coercive measures, with reference to the arrest, first interrogation of the accused under detention and reasons for the subsequent dispatch about the measures. The asset assurance measures of preventive seizure and the preventive seizure to ensure confiscation are analysed and principle of presumption of innocence is considered non applicable to those measures.

Relatório de estágio no departamento central de investigação e acção penal

The means of obtaining evidence, the amount of evidence obtained, the number of defendants related to each criminal case and the gravity of the crimes for which the magistrates of the Department are holders of penal action, define its real importance to the Rule of Law. I have deeply studied the subject of the institution of hierarchical intervention required by the assistant and the application of an opening statement by the defendant, starting from a hypothetical case, provided when the query of an investigation with the subject of the crime of active corruption, where this institution was called as a reaction to the archiving dispatch delivered by the Public Ministry. I have study about the implementation of the institution of provisional suspension of the process, specifically in the scope of fiscal criminality, analyzing the effective satisfaction of the purposes of the sentences in two slopes: general prevention and special prevention. I went for my first time to a Central Court of Criminal Instruction, where I attended the measures of inquiry and instructive debate of a process that culminated with the prosecution and pronunciation of the defendants. In addition to this criminal experience, I have deepened and consolidated the academic knowledge with the study of various criminal cases from various fields in the scope of criminality investigated by the Department. I could therefore check the basis of procedural delays, regarding to our legal system, especially in this type of crime, raising issues that I analyzed and discussed, always in a critical and academic way. I had the opportunity to attend and witness a seminar in the Lisbon Directorate of Finance as well of entering the Centre for Judicial Studies to attend a conference on the International Anti-Corruption Day. Focus on the investigatory importance of the international judicial cooperation, through the various organs, with special interest to EUROJUST. I comprehended the organization and functioning of these communitarian organs and means of communication of procedural acts, in particular, the rogatory letters and european arrest warrants. This involvement is motivated by the moratorium factor of the investigations where rogatory letters are necessary for the acquisition of evidence or information relevant to the good continuation of the process. For this reason the judicial cooperation through the relevant communitarian organs, translates a streamlined response between the competent judicial authorities of the Member States, through the National Member that integrates EUROJUST. This report aims to highlight some of the difficulties and procedural issues that Public Prosecutors of DCIAP and criminal police bodies that assist them, face in combating violent and organized crime, of national and transnational nature, of particular complexity, according to the specifics of criminal types.

Fiscal dynamics and electoral behavior in the Eurozone

Abstract: The Stability Growth Pact and the 3% rule did not prevent countries from running large deficits. Countries in the EMU administrate fiscal policies differently, despite the existence of a common quantitative goal. The main focus of this work project is to study differences in the fiscal dynamics of eight EMU countries and assess the role of political variables in shaping those dynamics. We find that elections negatively affect government revenue in Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Germany. Expenditure, on the other hand, responds positively to incoming elections in Portugal, Italy, France and Netherlands, and negatively in the case of Germany.