{
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "id": "madeira",
  "name": "Madeira (Região Autónoma da Madeira / Autonomous Region of Madeira)",
  "jurisdiction_code": "PT-MAD",
  "legal_system": "civil-law",
  "language": ["pt"],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "generated": "2026-06-05",
  "summary": "Madeira (Região Autónoma da Madeira / RAM) is a North-eastern Atlantic civil-law autonomous region of the Portuguese Republic comprising the Madeira archipelago (Madeira Island + Porto Santo + Desertas + Selvagens) located ~1,000 km southwest of mainland Portugal and ~700 km west of Morocco — structurally distinctive globally as one of only two Portuguese autonomous regions (with the Azores) constitutionally established under Portuguese Constitution 1976 Article 6 (modified subsequently), as one of nine EU 'outermost regions' (Régions ultrapériphériques / RUP) operating under EU Treaty Article 349 special-regime framework, and as the central jurisdiction of the Estatuto Político-Administrativo da Região Autónoma da Madeira 1991 (modernised 2006) which establishes Madeira's distinctive legislative-assembly framework with Lei Orgânica autonomy. Madeira has the constitutional power to enact regional legislative acts (decretos legislativos regionais) within its statutorily defined competence including specific powers over family-law-adjacent matters such as guardianship and child welfare. Family-law framework operates under the Portuguese Civil Code (Código Civil 1966, as amended) applied via Madeira regional administrative framework with Madeira-specific regulatory decrees in some areas. Parental authority (responsabilidade parental) and child custody operate under Portuguese Civil Code Articles 1877-1920 as substantially amended by Lei 61/2008 (Joint Parental Responsibility Reform). The Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa has jurisdiction over Madeira appellate matters (the Madeira Judicial District 'Comarca da Madeira' is integrated into the Lisbon Court of Appeals system); final appellate jurisdiction lies with the Portuguese Supreme Court of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justiça). Madeira is silent on 'parental alienation' as a statutory label. Portugal is a Hague Convention 1980 party (acceded 6 December 1983) — Madeira Hague applicability via Portuguese territorial extension.",
  "pa_recognition_status": {
    "statutory": "silent",
    "apex_court_position": "no-apex-position",
    "professional_regulator_position": "silent"
  },
  "statutory_framework": [
    {
      "citation": "Portuguese Constitution 1976 Article 6 (Autonomous Regions)",
      "title": "Portuguese Constitution Article 6",
      "year": 1976,
      "url": "https://www.parlamento.pt/",
      "relevance": "Portuguese Constitutional Article establishing the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores within the Portuguese Republic — constitutional foundation for Madeira autonomous-region framework."
    },
    {
      "citation": "Estatuto Político-Administrativo da Região Autónoma da Madeira 1991 (modernised 2006)",
      "title": "Madeira Political-Administrative Statute",
      "year": 2006,
      "url": "https://www.alram.pt/",
      "relevance": "Portuguese Organic Law of 5 June 1991 (Lei 13/91) establishing Madeira's distinctive legislative-assembly framework with Lei Orgânica autonomy — modernised by Lei 130/99 and Lei Orgânica 1/2006."
    },
    {
      "citation": "EU Treaty Article 349 (Outermost Regions framework)",
      "title": "EU Treaty Article 349",
      "year": 2009,
      "url": "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/",
      "relevance": "Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Article 349 establishing EU 'outermost regions' (Régions ultrapériphériques / RUP) special-regime framework — Madeira one of nine RUP."
    },
    {
      "citation": "Portuguese Civil Code Articles 1877-1920 (Parental Responsibility, as amended by Lei 61/2008)",
      "title": "Portuguese Civil Code — Parental Responsibility",
      "year": 2008,
      "url": "https://www.parlamento.pt/",
      "relevance": "Portuguese Civil Code articles governing responsabilidade parental and child custody — substantially amended by Lei 61/2008 (Joint Parental Responsibility Reform) introducing presumption of joint parental responsibility."
    }
  ],
  "apex_courts": [
    {
      "name": "Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa (Madeira Judicial District)",
      "seat": "Lisbon",
      "url": "https://www.tribunais.org.pt/",
      "role": "Apex appellate court for civil and criminal matters from Madeira (integrated into Lisbon Court of Appeals system)."
    },
    {
      "name": "Supremo Tribunal de Justiça",
      "seat": "Lisbon",
      "url": "https://www.stj.pt/",
      "role": "Apex Portuguese appellate court for civil and criminal matters from Madeira."
    },
    {
      "name": "Tribunal Constitucional",
      "seat": "Lisbon",
      "url": "https://www.tribunalconstitucional.pt/",
      "role": "Apex Portuguese constitutional court for federal constitutional questions from Madeira."
    }
  ],
  "professional_regulators": [
    {
      "name": "Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (OPP)",
      "url": "https://www.ordemdospsicologos.pt/",
      "role": "Portuguese professional regulatory framework for psychology applicable in Madeira."
    }
  ],
  "anonymisation_convention": "Madeira-related decisions are anonymised per Portuguese court practice using initials.",
  "key_developments": [
    {
      "year": 1419,
      "title": "Portuguese discovery and settlement",
      "description": "Portuguese discovery of Madeira by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira in 1419 — beginning of Portuguese sovereignty over Madeira archipelago + foundation for subsequent ~600-year Portuguese sovereignty framework."
    },
    {
      "year": 1497,
      "title": "Treaty of Tordesillas Atlantic colonial framework",
      "description": "Treaty of Tordesillas of 7 June 1494 dividing Spanish-Portuguese spheres + subsequent 1497 Madeira-Atlantic-colonial-framework foundation — Madeira became pivotal early-modern transatlantic-navigation hub for Portuguese maritime empire including subsequent Brazil-Africa-Asia connections. Pivotal foundation framework for early-modern Atlantic colonial-administrative framework."
    },
    {
      "year": 1810,
      "title": "British military occupation Napoleonic context",
      "description": "British military occupation of Madeira December 1807-1814 by request of Portuguese Prince Regent (Napoleonic Wars context) — pivotal early-19th-century international-strategic context shaping subsequent Madeira-British strategic ties via Madeira wine + tourism framework + British residential community foundation."
    },
    {
      "year": 1976,
      "title": "Portuguese Constitution + autonomous-region establishment",
      "description": "Portuguese Constitution of 2 April 1976 Article 6 establishing the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores within the Portuguese Republic — pivotal post-Carnation-Revolution-1974 constitutional foundation framework + foundation for subsequent Estatuto Político-Administrativo da RAM framework."
    },
    {
      "year": 1991,
      "title": "Estatuto Político-Administrativo da RAM",
      "description": "Portuguese Organic Law 13/91 of 5 June 1991 establishing Madeira's distinctive legislative-assembly framework — first comprehensive Madeira Political-Administrative Statute + foundation for subsequent 2006 Lei Orgânica 1/2006 modernization framework."
    },
    {
      "year": 1997,
      "title": "Amsterdam Treaty Outermost Regions framework",
      "description": "Amsterdam Treaty of 2 October 1997 establishing EU 'outermost regions' (RUP) special-regime framework — Madeira designated as RUP — pivotal EU framework foundation + structurally distinctive globally one of nine EU outermost regions."
    },
    {
      "year": 2006,
      "title": "Estatuto Político-Administrativo da RAM modernisation",
      "description": "Lei Orgânica 1/2006 of 13 February 2006 comprehensively modernising Madeira Political-Administrative Statute — pivotal modern autonomy framework consolidation + extended Madeira legislative-assembly competence + foundation for subsequent dual-EU-Portuguese autonomy framework."
    },
    {
      "year": 2008,
      "title": "Lei 61/2008 Joint Parental Responsibility Reform",
      "description": "Portuguese Law 61/2008 of 31 October 2008 substantially amending Portuguese Civil Code Articles 1877-1920 — introducing presumption of joint parental responsibility — applies to Madeira via Portuguese federal extension."
    },
    {
      "year": 2009,
      "title": "Lisbon Treaty + EU Treaty Article 349",
      "description": "Lisbon Treaty effective 1 December 2009 continuing EU 'outermost regions' (RUP) framework via Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Article 349 — pivotal EU framework consolidation + Madeira RUP status definitively confirmed within Lisbon Treaty framework."
    },
    {
      "year": 2024,
      "title": "Continuing Madeira autonomous framework + Atlantic strategic position",
      "description": "Continuing Madeira autonomous framework 2024 — Assembleia Legislativa da Região Autónoma da Madeira continuing decretos legislativos regionais framework + continuing EU outermost-region status under TFEU Article 349 + continuing dual-EU-Portuguese autonomy framework + continuing British residential community framework + Atlantic strategic position framework + 605 years of Portuguese sovereignty since 1419 discovery."
    }
  ],
  "structural_findings": [
    "Madeira operates a civil-law Portuguese Civil Code framework via regional autonomous-region framework — places Madeira in the eastern-Atlantic Portuguese autonomous-region cluster.",
    "One of only two Portuguese autonomous regions (with Azores) constitutionally established under Portuguese Constitution 1976 Article 6 is structurally distinctive globally.",
    "One of nine EU 'outermost regions' (RUP) operating under EU Treaty Article 349 special-regime framework is structurally distinctive globally — alongside other Iberian, French, and EU outermost regions.",
    "Estatuto Político-Administrativo da RAM constitutional legislative-assembly framework with Lei Orgânica autonomy is structurally distinctive within EU subnational cluster.",
    "Constitutional power to enact regional legislative acts (decretos legislativos regionais) within statutorily defined competence is structurally distinctive globally.",
    "Lei 61/2008 (Portuguese Joint Parental Responsibility Reform) is structurally distinctive within European family-law cluster — introducing presumption of joint parental responsibility in 2008.",
    "EU Article 349 RUP special-regime framework intersection with Portuguese autonomous-region framework is structurally distinctive — dual-EU-and-Portuguese autonomy framework.",
    "Portuguese Hague Convention 1980 accession 1983 + Madeira Estatuto Político-Administrativo intersection is structurally distinctive."
  ],
  "references": [
    "jurisdiction:portugal",
    "jurisdiction:spain",
    "jurisdiction:azores",
    "jurisdiction:canary-islands",
    "jurisdiction:cabo-verde",
    "evidence:cross-border-parental-abduction-and-pa-intersection",
    "evidence:childrens-rights-paramountcy-doctrine"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Assembleia Legislativa da Região Autónoma da Madeira",
      "url": "https://www.alram.pt/",
      "publisher": "Madeira Government",
      "language": "pt"
    },
    {
      "title": "Supremo Tribunal de Justiça",
      "url": "https://www.stj.pt/",
      "publisher": "Portuguese Government",
      "language": "pt"
    }
  ],
  "editorial_notes": [
    "Madeira jurisdiction sidecar v1.1 — civil-law eastern-Atlantic Portuguese autonomous region (1419 Portuguese discovery + 1497 Treaty of Tordesillas Atlantic colonial framework + 1810 British military occupation Napoleonic context + 1976 Portuguese Constitution Article 6 + 1991 Estatuto Político-Administrativo + 1997 Amsterdam Treaty Outermost Regions + 2006 Lei Orgânica 1/2006 modernisation + 2008 Lei 61/2008 Joint Parental Responsibility + 2009 Lisbon Treaty TFEU Article 349 + 2024 continuing dual-EU-Portuguese autonomy framework with British residential community). One of only two Portuguese autonomous regions globally + one of nine EU outermost regions (RUP) + constitutional legislative-assembly framework with Lei Orgânica autonomy + constitutional power to enact regional legislative acts within statutorily defined competence + Lei 61/2008 Joint Parental Responsibility Reform + 605 years of Portuguese sovereignty.",
    "PA-recognition: silent statutory + no-apex-position + silent regulator.",
    "Joins eastern-Atlantic + civil-law + Portuguese-autonomous-region cluster + Constitution-Article-6-constitutionally-established-globally-distinctive + EU-Article-349-Outermost-Regions-RUP-framework + Estatuto-Político-Administrativo-legislative-assembly-Lei-Orgânica-autonomy + decretos-legislativos-regionais-regional-legislative-power + Lei-61/2008-Joint-Parental-Responsibility-Reform-2008 + Portuguese-Hague-1983-accession clusters within the corpus."
  ]
}