Judge who validated wiretaps involving Costa is candidate for president of the Supreme Court | Justice

The vice-president of the Supreme Court of Justice (STJ), Nuno Gonçalves, is also a candidate for the presidency of this court in the May 15th elections, joining the candidacies of the advisory judges José Sousa Lameira, Leonor Furtado and Graça Amaral (she also vice president of the institution).

Contacted by Lusa, the STJ press office confirmed the candidacy of the 67-year-old judge, who has been vice-president of this sovereign body since 2021, also holding the presidency of the litigation section and the Conflict Court. Like José Sousa Lameira, if Nuno Gonçalves is elected he will not be able to serve the five-year term until the end, since the age limit to hold this position is 70 years old.

According to Nuno Gonçalves’ presentation letter to his fellow counselors, to which Lusa had access this Friday, the magistrate commits to being a “firm and coherent president in defending the statute” of the STJ, “being tireless in defending intransigent” of the class, the rights and duties of judges and the struggle to improve working conditions.

“The presidency is responsible, in addition to institutional representation, to foster a serene, friendly, collaborative work environment, in which each and every one of us must have the indispensable support for the demanding power-duty of judging”, reads himself in the document, in which he is willing to be a “president who is close, with an open door, dialogue, ready to listen to concerns and suggestions or proposals”.

Among the proposed measures, Nuno Gonçalves — who comes from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, having moved to the judicial bench in 2019 — wants to reinforce the advisory services provided to judges, hoping that two advisory judges will be assigned to each section of the court, and a reinforcement of technical assistance for the development of processes.

Nuno Gonçalves also defended that advisory judges should be encouraged to present “proposals for changes to legislative and regulatory diplomas, with the certainty that they will be presented to the Superior Council of the Judiciary [CSM] and political power”.

The advisory judge also wants to establish the electronic distribution of processes via videoconference, a regime of “regular consultation with vice-presidents and section presidents to overcome blockages and find solutions” and the reinforcement of “bilateral and multilateral exchanges”.

Nuno Gonçalves’ candidacy increases the number of advisory judges in the race for the presidency to four, after the candidacies made official earlier this week by Leonor Furtado and Graça Amaral and the announcement by the former vice-president of the CSM, José Sousa Lameira, in beginning of this month.

On May 15, the advisory judges elect the successor of Henrique Araújo, who leaves the position of president of the STJ due to having reached the age limit. The president of the STJ is also, by virtue of his duties, president of the CSM.