Portugal Codigo Civil art. 1906 + Lei 61/2008¶
TL;DR¶
Portugal's Codigo Civil (Civil Code) art. 1906 was substantially reworked by Lei 61/2008 (31 October 2008) to make joint exercise of parental responsibilities (exercicio conjunto das responsabilidades parentais) the legal default. Art. 1906-A frames the child's right to maintain personal relations with both parents as a fundamental interest; the residential parent has an explicit duty to facilitate contact under art. 1906(5). Lei 24/2017 added enforcement teeth via mediation requirements and coercive fines.
Statutory Framework¶
Art. 1906 Codigo Civil — Joint Parental Responsibilities (Lei 61/2008)¶
The exercise of parental responsibilities concerning matters of particular importance to the child's life is shared between both parents under terms in force during marriage, except in cases of manifest urgency, in which any of the parents may act alone, informing the other promptly.
Art. 1906(3) — Residence Decisions¶
The parents shall decide, by mutual agreement, on the child's residence. If they fail to agree, the court shall decide based on the best interests of the child, with weight on the willingness of each parent to promote habitual contact with the other parent.
Art. 1906(5) — Duty to Facilitate¶
The parent with whom the child does not reside has the right to be informed about and to participate in decisions concerning the child's life — a positive obligation on the residential parent to enable this.
Art. 1906-A — Best-Interests Catalogue (Lei 24/2017)¶
Codified factors including stability, the child's expressed views (with age-appropriate weight), and each parent's capacity to promote the child's relationship with the other parent.
Art. 1918 — Removal of Parental Authority¶
Where a parent's conduct seriously compromises the child's safety, health, moral formation, or education, the court may restrict parental responsibilities — including for documented alienation behaviors.
Lei 141/2015 (Regime Geral do Processo Tutelar Civil)¶
Procedural framework for tutelary-civil proceedings. Article 38 mandates pre-trial mediation; Article 41 provides coercive fines (multa) for non-compliance with contact orders.
STJ Jurisprudence¶
STJ Ac. de 08-02-2018 (Proc. 4118/15.4T8FNC.L1.S1)¶
Confirmed that systematic obstruction of contact by the residential parent is grounds for modification of the residence regime, even where the child expresses contact refusal — courts must investigate whether refusal reflects induced influence (manipulacao).
STJ Ac. de 06-12-2018 (Proc. 18181/16.0T8LSB.L1.S1)¶
Held that the court has a positive obligation under ECHR Art. 8 to enforce contact orders effectively; passive non-action constitutes a violation.
STJ Ac. de 12-07-2018 (Proc. 5705/15.7T8PRT.P1.S1)¶
Reaffirmed that supervised contact (visitas vigiadas) is a temporary measure, not a permanent solution; courts must work toward unsupervised reunification.
ECHR Context¶
Portugal party to ECHR since 1978. STJ treats Strasbourg jurisprudence — particularly Improta v Italy and the Italian/French Article 8 line — as binding interpretive authority for contact-enforcement obligations.
Lusophone Cross-Border Considerations¶
Portugal serves as the Lusophone-world gateway: - Brazil: Hague 1980 + Convenio de Cooperacao Juridica e Judiciaria; Portuguese STJ frequently coordinates with Brazilian STF - Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde: bilateral agreements; PA cases involving children with Portuguese + African nationality dual ties - Macau, East Timor: residual jurisdictional ties
Practical Application¶
Motion Language (Portuguese)¶
"A Requerida/O Requerido tem sistematicamente obstaculizado o exercicio das responsabilidades parentais em violacao dos arts. 1906/3 e 1906-A do Codigo Civil. O Requerente requer a alteracao do regime de residencia ao abrigo do art. 1909 CC e a aplicacao de multa coercitiva nos termos do art. 41 do RGPTC."
Cross-Border¶
- Brussels IIb (Regulation 2019/1111) applies since 1 August 2022
- Hague 1980 central authority: Direcao-Geral de Reinsercao e Servicos Prisionais (DGRSP) / Gabinete de Direito Internacional
- Strong cross-border practice with Brazil, Spain, France, Luxembourg (large Portuguese diaspora)
Citing Posts¶
| Post | URL |
|---|---|
| Iberian Family-Law Landscape | https://antialienate.com/blog/iberian-parental-alienation |
| Lusophone Cross-Border Cases | https://antialienate.com/blog/lusophone-parental-alienation |
| Article 8 ECHR Stack | https://antialienate.com/blog/article-8-echr-parental-alienation |
Sources¶
- Codigo Civil: https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=775&tabela=leis
- Lei 61/2008: https://dre.pt/dre/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2008-69873683
- Lei 141/2015 (RGPTC): https://dre.pt/dre/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2015-70903268
- STJ jurisprudence: https://www.stj.pt/
- DGSI (case-law database): https://www.dgsi.pt/
By Alan Markson. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Disclaimer: Educational summary, not legal advice. Consult a qualified Portuguese family-law attorney (advogado especialista em direito da familia).