A chastened Superior Council of Magistrates next week must submit to Portugal's Supreme Court of Justice a detailed rationale for its selection of several of the judges chosen to preside in the new 'judicial map' of 23 courts.
In a pointed commentary, the Supreme Court concluded that the decisions made by the Superior Council of Magistrates were plainly "unfair and incomprehensible," as well as infringing any number of selection standards and protocols.
Competing judges for four regions are mired in lawsuits and the Supreme Court has decided that to suspend the swearing in of judges for Coimbra, Lisbon, Setúbal, Beja, Évora and Faro until things have simmered down and a detailed rationale given for each choice.
The Supreme Court spotted clear evidence of favouritism by the selection committee at the Superior Council of Magistrates which has not shown clear and transparent criteria, let alone any evidence of an actual interview process for two of the lucky appointees who were handed new jobs after just a phone call.
"The public interest demands that is the candidate with the best qualities that is chosen for each post,” according to the Supreme Court which added that the current choices have followed few, if any of the stipulated selection criteria.
After the Council re-presents its choices, with a full explanation, the Supreme Court has 10 days to decide whether it will ratify the appointments or ask for the selection process for the six problem regions to be redone, but properly this time.
