Civil Trial - Update

On Monday, the 16th of June, 2014, before the start of the last hearing of the ongoing trial, Gonçalo Amaral delivered a revocation of mandate at the Civil Court of Lisbon. This document ceased the mandate of his then legal representative.

According to the disposition in the Portuguese Civil Process Code, the trial was suspended for the legal period for Mr Amaral to appoint a new lawyer, given that a party in this type of action cannot remain without legal representation.

New dates were set. On the 8th of July, the judge will hear the parties' declarations to the court. On the 10th of July, the lawyers will present closing arguments.

Gonçalo Amaral dedicated his professional life to the search of Truth and the attainment of Justice. We trust the Portuguese Courts. As independent institutions, they decide based on Portuguese Law, without fear or pressure.

Your ongoing support of Gonçalo Amaral's defence has been decisive.

Thank you.

Julgamento - Actualização

Na segunda-feira, dia 16 de Junho de 2014, antes do início da última audiência do julgamento em curso, Gonçalo Amaral entregou no Tribunal Cível de Lisboa a revogação de mandato do seu então representante legal nesta acção.

Em conformidade com o disposto no Código de Processo Civil, o julgamento foi suspenso pelo prazo legal para Gonçalo Amaral nomear novo advogado, uma vez que este tipo de acção obriga a representação legal.

Foram marcadas novas datas. Dia 8 de Julho serão apresentadas as declarações de parte. Dia 10 de Julho os advogados apresentarão as alegações finais.

Gonçalo Amaral dedicou a sua vida profissional à busca da verdade material e à realização da justiça. Confiamos nos tribunais portugueses, os quais como instituições independentes, decidem fundados no direito português, sem medos nem pressões.

O vosso apoio à defesa de Gonçalo Amaral tem sido decisivo.

Muito obrigado.

Trial which opposes Madeleine McCann parents against Gonçalo Amaral to restart next Monday

Gonçalo Amaral and his lawyer, Santos Oliveira | photo by A.Guedes

Trial which opposes Madeleine McCann parents against Gonçalo Amaral to restart next Monday

The trial of the process in which the parents of Madeleine McCann ask for a compensation of 1,2 million euro, for alleged defamation [sic] by the former Judiciary Police inspector Gonçalo Amaral, is expected to restart next Monday morning.

The hearings that were taking place at the 1st Civil Court of Lisbon, at the Palácio da Justiça, had been on hold since October last year, so the parents of the English girl who disappeared in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, in May 2007 could reach reach a court settlement with Gonçalo Amaral.

Since no agreement was reached between Gerry and Kate McCann and Gonçalo Amaral, the judge who presides this court action - action which has caused Gonçalo Amaral's assets to be frozen as a precautionary measure, has decided to schedule the restart of the sessions for Monday.

The adjournment was granted four months after the trial began, on 12 September 2013, with the hearing of witnesses indicated by the McCanns, which included Gerry's sister.

The lawyer Isabel Duarte, the McCanns trustee, waived the testimony of the mother and father of Madeleine McCann.

In this action, the McCann couple, also allege that the rights, freedoms and guarantees of the family have been infringed, and demand 1,2 million euros in compensation from Gonçalo Amaral, who investigated the disappearance of Madeleine in May 3, 2007.

In the book "Maddie: The Truth of the Lie", written by Gonçalo Amaral, the former coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Judiciary Police of Portimão defends the alleged involvement of Kate and Gerry McCann in the child's disappearance and in the concealment of her body.

In a connected legal action, the McCanns submitted a temporary injunction banning the book and the video based on the same title, a documentary that was aired on TVI [TV channel].

On January 19, 2010, the 7th Civil Court of Lisbon decided to uphold the ban on the book and the video, that had been provisionally decreed in September 9, 2009.

Following legal recourse [by Gonçalo Amaral, TVI, Guerra e Paz and Valentim de Carvalho's defence lawyers], the Lisbon Appeals Court decided on 19th October 2010 to overturn the ruling [the ban] of the first instance court.

Kate and Gerry McCann appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice seeking for the overturn to be nullified, but the Supreme Court of Justice refused their request and confirmed the decision of the Lisbon Appeals Court, in 18 March 2011.

Madeleine McCann disappeared from an apartment in a tourist resort in Praia da Luz, while on holidays with her parents and twin siblings.

The girl had then three years old and the parents have always sustained that she was abducted.

Madeleine's parents were constituted as arguidos [formal suspects] in September 2007, nevertheless the process [investigation] was archived for lack of evidentiary proof in July 2008.

The process was re-opened on the 24th of October last year, after the Public Prosecutor's Office concluded that there were "new evidentiary elements to justify the continuation of the investigation."

in Agência Lusa [Lusa news agency], June 11, 2014

Note - Date confirmed, first trial session on Monday, 16th June at 09.30am at Palácio da Justiça in Lisbon.

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Related
Ward of Court: Decision issued by Judge in Civil Trial
Court reports by Anna Guedes

'Ward of Court': Entscheidung der Richterin

Richterin entscheidet, dass Kate und Gerry McCann nicht die Befugnis haben, Gonçalo Amaral im Namen ihrer Tochter zu verklagen.

Die Richterin am Zivilgericht von Lissabon, zuständig für die Verleumdungsklage die Kate und Gerry McCann gegen Gonçalo Amaral und 3 andere Parteien eingereicht haben, hat eine Entscheidung getroffen bzgl. der Frage der Vormundschaft des Gerichts für Madeleine McCann.

Am 3. Januar 2014 hatte Gonçalo Amaral vor dem Gericht in Lissabon argumentiert, dass Madeleines Eltern nicht die nötige Befugnis besitzen, um ihre Tochter in dieser Klage zu vertreten, da das Kind ein Mündel des Gerichts sei.

Die Richterin entschied, dass Herr Amaral eine Bescheinigung des zuständigen britischen Gerichts präsentieren sollte. Das Zertifikat wurde am 2. Mai dem Gericht nach einem langwierigen, teuren Prozess vorgelegt.

Die Richterin hatte dann zu entscheiden, ob Madeleines Eltern berechtigt waren, ihre Tochter in diesem Rechtsstreit zu vertreten. Im nun erfolgten Urteil der Richterin wird beschieden, dass das Vormundschaftsgericht die oberste Verantwortung für das Kind hat, dies aber nicht die Eltern der Verantwortung entbindet oder diese gar aufhebt. Der High Court übernimmt die Kontrolle über die wichtigsten Entscheidungen für das Leben des Kindes. Die Richterin ist ferner der Auffassung, dass die Entscheidung, eine gerichtliche Klage im Namen des Kindes einzureichen, eine Entscheidung von solcher Tragweite ist, dass dafür eine Vereinbarung oder Zustimmung des Gerichts verlangt wird.

Das Urteil der Richterin stellt ferner fest, dass die Fragen, die dem Vormundschaftsgericht gestellt wurden, Fragen eminent justizieller Natur waren, wie die Offenbarung von vertraulichen Informationen und Dokumenten , die mit dem Verschwinden des Kindes in Zusammenhang stehen und im Besitz der örtlichen Polizei waren.

Der Text folgt mit der Überlegung, dass, da Madeleine am 2. April 2008 ein Mündel des Gerichts wurde, ihre Eltern im Jahre 2009 nicht die notwendigen Befugnisse zur Vertretung ihrer Tochter besaßen um die vorliegende Klage ohne Genehmigung des britischen Gerichts einzureichen.

Dennoch hat die Richterin entschieden , dass die endgültige Gerichtssitzung , die eine Erklärung von Gerald McCann und die Präsentation der Schlussplädoyers aller Seiten umfassen wird , unabhängig von der Frage der Vormundschaft stattfinden soll.

Nach Abschluss dieser Sitzung wird das Verfahren für 30 Tage ausgesetzt werden. Während dieser Zeit müssen Madeleines Eltern dafür sorgen, die Genehmigung des britischen Gerichts für die Erhebung der vorliegenden Klage im Namen des Kindes Madeleine McCann zusammenzutragen und zu dokumentieren. Wenn sie dies nicht tun, werden die Angeklagten " freigesprochen von dem Verfahren bzgl. der Klagen , die im Auftrag der betreffenden Person eingereicht wurden.

Die Richterin hat als Datum für die letzte Sitzung den 16. Juni vorgeschlagen, aber jeder der beteiligten Anwälte hat die Möglichkeit, den Termin abzusagen und einen Alternativtermin zu benennen.

Ward of Court: Decision issued by Judge in Civil Trial

Judge rules that Kate and Gerry McCann do not possess the authority to sue Gonçalo Amaral in their daughter’s name. 


The judge at the Civil Court of Lisbon who is trying the civil case which Kate and Gerry McCann have filed against Gonçalo Amaral and 3 other parties has issued a decision concerning the matter of Madeleine McCann being a Ward of Court.

On the 3rd of January 2014, Gonçalo Amaral had argued before the Lisbon Court that Madeleine’s parents do not possess the necessary power to represent their daughter in this action, since the child had been made a Ward of Court in the United Kingdom.

The judge decided that Mr Amaral should present a certificate of the relevant British judicial ruling. That certificate was delivered to the Court on the 2nd of May, after a lengthy, expensive process.

The judge then had to decide whether or not Madeleine’s parents were entitled to represent their daughter in this lawsuit. In the judge’s recent ruling, it is mentioned that “within the 'Wardship', the High Court holds ultimate responsibility over the child, but it does not suppress or annul the exercise of the parental responsibilities”. The High Court takes control over “the most important decisions for the life” of the child. The judge further considers that “the decision to file a judicial action in the name of the child” is a decision “of the magnitude that is demanded for the agreement or consent of the court”.

The judge’s ruling further notes that the matters that have been brought before the High Court that holds the Wardship have been matters of an “eminently judiciary nature, like the revelation of confidential information and documents, that are related to the child’s disappearance and were in the possession of the local police”. 

The text continues with the consideration that because Madeleine was made a Ward of the Court on the 2nd of April of 2008, her parents did not possess, in 2009, “the necessary capacity of representation of their daughter to file the present action without the authorization from the British court”.

Nevertheless, the judge has decided that the final court session, which will include a statement from Gerald McCann and the presentation of closing arguments from all sides, should take place regardless of the matter of the Wardship.

After that hearing is completed, the proceedings will be suspended for 30 days. During that period, Madeleine’s parents “shall arrange for the collection and documentation in the records of the British Court’s authorization for the bringing of this action on behalf of the minor Madeleine McCann”. If they fail to do so, the defendants will be “acquitted of the proceedings concerning the requests that have been formulated on behalf of the latter”.

The judge has proposed the date of 16th June for the final session, but each of the lawyers involved have the possibility of declining said date and suggesting alternative dates.

Julgamento: Decisão da Juíza sobre 'Ward of the Court'

Juíza considera que Kate e Gerry McCann não detinham autorização para intentar acção contra Gonçalo Amaral em nome da filha. 


A juíza do Tribunal Cível de Lisboa que julga a acção que os McCann intentaram contra Gonçalo Amaral e 3 outras partes emitiu uma decisão sobre o estatuto de Madeleine como ‘Ward of Court’.

A 3 de Janeiro de 2014, Gonçalo Amaral havia argumentado perante o tribunal que os pais de Madeleine não possuíam a autoridade necessária para representar a sua filha nesta acção, pelo facto de a criança ter sido colocada sob a tutela de um tribunal britânico, ou seja, uma ´Ward of Court’.

A juíza decidiu que Gonçalo Amaral deveria apresentar a documentação relevante sobre a decisão judicial britânica. Esse certificado foi apresentado ao tribunal no passado dia 2 de Maio, após um processo moroso e dispendioso.

Cabia então à juíza decidir se os pais de Madeleine tinham ou não o direito de representar a sua filha nesta acção cível.

A decisão recentemente produzida pela juíza menciona que “no âmbito da "Wardship" o Tribunal toma sobre si a responsabilidade máxima pela criança, mas não suprime ou anula o exercício das responsabilidades parentais”. O High Court britânico assume o controlo sobre “as decisões mais importantes para a vida do tutelado”.

A juíza considera ainda que “a decisão de instaurar uma acção judicial em nome do menor, como é a presente, deve considerar-se, salvo melhor juízo, uma decisão da magnitude exigida para o acordo ou consentimento do tribunal”.

Esta decisão nota ainda que os assuntos que foram trazidos perante o High Court que detém a custódia têm sido assuntos “do foro eminentemente judiciário, como foi a revelação de informações e de documentos confidenciais, relativos ao desaparecimento da criança e que se encontravam na posse da polícia local”.

O texto prossegue com a consideração que pelo facto de Madeleine ter sido constituída como ‘Ward of the Court’ no dia 2 de Abril de 2008, os seus pais não possuíam, em 2009, a “necessária capacidade de representação da sua filha para, sem a autorização do Tribunal britânico, intentar a presente acção”.

No entanto, a juíza decide que a audiência final, que irá incluir um depoimento de Gerald McCann e a apresentação das alegações finais de todas as partes deverá ter lugar independentemente do assunto da tutela de Madeleine.

Após a conclusão dessa audiência, a instância será suspensa por 30 dias. Durante esse período, os pais de Madeleine “deverão providenciar pela obtenção e documentação nos autos da autorização do Tribunal britânico para a propositura da presente acção em nome da menor Madeleine Maccann, sob pena de não o fazendo, os réus serem absolvidos da instância quanto aos pedidos formulados em nome desta última”.

A juíza marca a audiência final para o dia 16 de Junho, mas os representantes legais das partes podem sugerir datas alternativas, caso se encontrem impedidos de comparecer.