Practice area · Portugal

Criminal Law and Regulatory Offences

Assistance to victims and injured parties and defence of defendants in criminal and administrative offence proceedings. Crime reports, participation as an assistente (participating injured party under Portuguese procedure), civil compensation, coercive measures, trials and appeals.

Overview

We assist victims, injured parties and people with formal suspect status (arguidos) from the moment a suspicion arises. Our work may include reporting a crime, applying to participate as an assistente (an injured party admitted to participate in Portuguese criminal proceedings), and assistance when a person is formally designated as an arguido. We can continue through the investigation, judicial examination stage (instrução), trial and appeal. We assess the facts, evidence and deadlines to define our involvement.

When we can help

  • Reporting a crime and joining proceedings as an assistente (participating injured party under Portuguese procedure) (an injured party admitted to participate in Portuguese criminal proceedings)
  • Private prosecutions and civil compensation claims
  • Formal designation as an arguido (a person with formal suspect status under Portuguese procedure), detention and questioning
  • Pre-trial restrictions, evidence and hearings
  • Regulatory offences, challenges and appeals

Documents to gather

  • Identify the entity, case number, and date of notification
  • Preserve notifications, messages, and documents without altering them
  • Note every deadline and understand the implications before making a statement

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I seek support?

As soon as you receive a notice, become aware of the situation or face a running deadline.

What is clarified in the initial contact?

The team identifies the stage of the process, deadlines, available documents, and the urgency of the intervention.

Legal review: Maria Manuela Nunes Ferreira, Lawyer
Editorial responsibility: MNF Advogados
Main jurisdiction: Portugal
Reviewed on: 19 October 2026

General information reviewed for the stated jurisdiction. An assessment of the applicable law, documents and deadlines is needed before you make a decision.

Request for contact

Tell us the essentials.

Tell us the type of matter, your next deadline and how you would prefer us to contact you. We will check availability and potential conflicts of interest before proceeding.

Privacy

Cookies

Terms

Message sent

We have received your request.

We will check availability and any potential conflicts of interest. We will respond through your chosen channel. Until the team expressly confirms acceptance, the matter has not been accepted and no lawyer-client relationship exists.