Kiri

T R I B U N A L C O N S T I T U C I O N A L

O P r e s i d e n t e

Lisbon, 13th june 2026

The Honourable

Villu Kõve,

President of the Supreme Court of Estonia

Dear Mr. President,

Within the next few days a new President and Vice-President of the Portuguese

Constitutional Court will be elected and my term in office as President will come to an end.

It has been an immense honour to have been able to serve justice and to defend

constitutional values and principles.

During my time as President, the Portuguese Constitutional Court issued judgments on

various controversial issues such as medically assisted dying, the Nationality Law, the Law

on Foreign Nationals and pet abuse, among others, which I believe have had a most relevant

impact on the legal sphere, with the Court playing a crucial role in guaranteeing respect for

the Constitution and the rule of law.

The Portuguese Constitutional Court has also remained committed to a greater openness to

the public, which I believe is a crucial aspect of our work, especially at present when

constitutional courts have been increasingly under attack, in particular in the political arena.

Fostering a greater understanding of the role of constitutional courts and a greater proximity

with those ultimately affected by our decisions is thus and will no doubt continue to be one

of our most important goals. The increasing number of visitors from different ages,

backgrounds and nationalities that we have welcomed at the Court is a testament to that

openness.

T R I B U N A L C O N S T I T U C I O N A L

O P r e s i d e n t e Also, I have always been acutely aware of the importance of the broader legal community of

which the Portuguese Constitutional Court is a part, and I have thus tried to promote

participation in multilateral platforms, such as the World Conference on Constitutional

Justice, the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, the Conference of Constitutional

Jurisdictions of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, the Ibero-American Conference on

Constitutional Justice, the Quadrilateral Meeting of the Constitutional Courts of France,

Italy, Portugal and Spain, and the Venice Commission, as well as in bilateral meetings with

other constitutional courts.

This ongoing exchange has been a continued source of enrichment and has enormously

benefitted our work at the Portuguese Constitutional Court. It has also afforded me the

extraordinary privilege of meeting truly remarkable people, with whom I was fortunate to

have the most fruitful conversations and the warmest personal rapport, and for that I am

grateful.

Thus, on this occasion, I would like to convey the Portuguese Constitutional Court’s

continued commitment not only to constitutional principles and values, but also to

strengthening the ties that bind it to other constitutional courts and to multilateral

cooperation platforms of which it is a part.

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you every success in your work on behalf

of constitutional justice, and I remain at your disposal for whatever you may deem necessary.

Yours sincerely,

José João Abrantes