“This type of situation ends up leading to a discrediting of the institutions, which is undesirable, and that is why we will continue to do everything to prevent this”, said the Justice Minister on the sidelines of the International Women’s Human Rights Summit in Lisbon.
According to Francisca Van Dunen, the judges’ action is disproportionate to proceedings that are underway and, irrespective of the levels of adherence to the strike, she stressed that a strike is the “most radical” response when a conflict worsens.
“I would say that, in this case, the conflict not only worsened but goes against talks to remove obstacles that impeded consensus”, she said.
“What is at issue is that they are professionals who also bear sovereignty, and this situation transmits to the outside an image that does not correspond to what should effectively be the institutional relationship of the bearers of sovereignty”, added Francisca Van Dunen.
The Trade Union Association of Portuguese Judges scheduled a 21-day marathon of strikes that began on Tuesday with a general strike that covered all the courts in the country and involved, at the outset, about 2,300 judicial magistrates.
The trade union association argues that a review of the Statute of Judges cannot cover only “half” of their charter of rights and duties, without resolving the “pay blockages” created in the 1990s.
The Judges’ Union said witnesses who travel to courts for cases and who are not heard because of the action are entitled to compensation for travel expenses.