The cases would instead be distributed according to the home address or registered office of the person or organisation taking legal action, reports ECO.

The measure forms part of a wider reform of Portugal’s administrative and tax courts included in draft law 98/XVII, which was debated in Parliament on 16 September.

At present, cases involving the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) are concentrated at the Lisbon Administrative Court. Under the proposed change, they would be handled by courts in different parts of the country.

The Government does not plan to create separate immigration courts. Instead, specialised sections would be set up within courts that already exist.

These sections would deal with cases concerning the entry, residence and departure of foreign citizens, as well as removal proceedings. They would also handle administrative cases involving asylum, subsidiary protection and temporary protection.

Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice said the change is intended to strengthen expertise within the courts in an area that has become increasingly important in recent years. The reorganisation would also help Portugal adapt its judicial system to the requirements of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum.

The reform goes beyond immigration cases and includes several measures intended to reduce pressure on Portugal’s administrative courts.

The Superior Council of Administrative and Tax Courts would be given greater control over the distribution of cases. It could set an annual limit on the number assigned to each judge and introduce reference levels to identify courts where workloads have become unbalanced.

Judges from a complementary pool could also be temporarily transferred to another court or specialised section within the same geographical area. This could happen when vacancies exist or when additional support is needed due to the number, complexity or age of pending cases.

Any transfer would require the agreement of the judge and could not cause serious disruption to their personal or family life.

The proposal also includes new ways of resolving disputes without going through the traditional court process.

One measure would create a chamber to settle disagreements involving public contracts within a maximum of 35 days. The Government hopes this will prevent long delays in public tenders and other administrative procedures.

A voluntary procedure is also planned for people seeking compensation after being harmed by actions taken by the State. This could allow compensation to be paid without the need to begin a court case.

The reform also proposes new rules for administrative arbitration centres and a mechanism allowing certain agreements between the State and citizens or companies to be approved by a panel of experts without requiring the involvement of the Central Administrative Court.