Portuguese legal system
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Portuguese legal system is part of the civil law or continental family of legal systems. Up to the end of the 19th century French law was the main influence, but since then the major influence has been German law. EU law is now a major driving force in many respects.
The main laws include the Constitution (1976, as amended) the Civil Code (1966, as amended) and the Penal Code (1982, as amended). Other relevant laws are the Commercial Code (1888, as amended) and the Civil Procedure Code (1961, as amended).
The major law faculties are generally considered as that of the Universities of Lisbon and of Coimbra.
Portuguese law applied in the former colonies and territories and continues to be the major influence. This includes for example the legal system of Macau.
