0
Off

OPPOSITION TO THE ACQUISITION OF PORTUGUESE NATIONALITY | MARRIAGE TO PORTUGUESE NATIONAL | AUTOMATIC EFFECTS OF CRIMINAL CONVICTION | FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT OF ACCESS TO PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP

 

Constitutional Court, judgment no. 534/2021, 13.07.2021

 

JURISDICTION: Constitutional

CASE: 987/2019

SUBJECT: Constitutional appeal

RAPPORTEUR: Gonçalo de Almeida Ribeiro

RULING: The Constitutional Court decides to hold Article 9(b) of the Nationality Act as unconstitutional, to the extent that it establishes as grounds for opposing the acquisition of Portuguese nationality the applicant’s unappealable conviction for a criminal offense punishable with a prison sentence up to three years or more, when the prison sentence was replaced by a fine. The Constitutional Court therefore grants the appeal, ordering that the appealed judgment be amended in accordance with the unconstitutionality ruling.

DOMESTIC LAW:

Portuguese Constitution [Articles 4, 15(3), 16(2), 18, 26, 30(4), 36, 64(2)(b), 67]

Law no. 28/82, of 15 November 1982 [Articles 70(1)(a), 84]

Law no. 37/81, of 3 October 1981, as amended by Organic Law no. 8/2015, of 22 June 2015 [Articles 3(1), 6(1)(d), 9, 10(1)]

Law no. 37/81, of 3 October 1981, as amended by Organic Law no. 2/2018, of 5 July 2018 [Articles 6(1)(d), 9(1)(b)]

Criminal Code [Articles 43, 50(1), 145(1)]

Law no. 57/98, of 18 August 1998 [Article 17(1)]

Law no. 37/2015, of 5 May 2015 (Article 13)

Constitutional Court, judgment no. 599/2005, 02.11.2005

Constitutional Court, judgment no. 605/2013, 24.09.2013

Constitutional Court, judgment no. 106/2016, 24.02.2016

Constitutional Court, judgment no. 331/2016, 19.05.2016

Constitutional Court, judgment no. 497/2019, 26.09.2019 (amended by judgment no. 589/2019, 21.10.2019)

INTERNATIONAL LAW:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 (Article 15)

European Convention on Nationality, 1997 (Article 6

FOREIGN LAW: n.a.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Oposição à aquisição da nacionalidade portuguesa; casamento com nacional português; efeito automático de condenação penal; direito fundamental de acesso à cidadania portuguesa; substituição da pena de prisão pela pena de multa; direito originário do cidadão estrangeiro a requerer a nacionalidade portuguesa; nacionalidade angolana; cidadãos estrangeiros; princípio da proporcionalidade; critério da moldura penal abstrata; pena concretamente aplicada; naturalização; ponderar devidamente a culpa e a gravidade do ilícito; direito fundamental a não ser privado da cidadania portuguesa; expectativa jurídica; “nacionalidade real e efetiva”; cidadãos nacionais de outro Estado; indícios de efetiva ligação vivencial ao Estado que confere a nacionalidade; cidadãos dos Estados de língua portuguesa; manifesta desconsideração pelos princípios e valores constitucionais; núcleo essencial do direito à cidadania; adequada ponderação dos fatores que objetivamente confirmam ou infirmam o específico vínculo de integração na comunidade portuguesa; residência em Portugal desde a menoridade; certificado de registo criminal; direito à cidadania portuguesa; preservação do núcleo essencial do direito fundamental; fatores constitucional e jus-internacionalmente relevantes

COMMENTS: Coming soon.

REFERENCES IN THE LITERATURE: n.a.

 

Download the ruling.

 

 

 

 

Share this comment
Posted inMARRIAGE TO PORTUGUESE NATIONAL FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT OF ACCESS TO PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP AUTOMATIC EFFECTS OF CRIMINAL CONVICTION OPPOSITION TO THE ACQUISITION OF PORTUGUESE NATIONALITY
Tags“Nacionalidade Real e Efetiva” Duly Weight the Factors That Objectively Confirm or Dispute the Specific Bond of Integration in the Portuguese Community Marriage to Portuguese National Criminal Record Citizens of Portuguese Speaking Countries Foreign Citizens Citizens Who Hold the Nationality of Another State Abstract Penalty Criterion Right To Portuguese Citizenship Fundamental Right Not to be Deprived of Portuguese Citizenship Fundamental Right of Access to Portuguese Citizenship Foreign Citizens' Basic Right to Apply for Portuguese Nationality Automatic Effects of Criminal Conviction Legally Based Expectation Relevant Constitutional and International Factors Indication of Effective Life Ties to the State That Grants the Nationality Blatant Disregard for Constitutional Principles and Values Angolan Nationality Naturalization Core of the Right to Citizenship Opposition to Acquisition of Portuguese Nationality Penalty Applied in the Instant Case Duly Weight the Offender's Guilt and the Seriousness of the Offense Safeguard of the Core of the Fundamental Right Principle of Proportionality Residence in Portugal Since Childhood Replacement of Prison Sentence by Fine