Abstract
Following the Portuguese Constitution (1976), two successive Administrative Procedure Acts (1991 and 2015), and a profound reform of the system of Administrative Courts (2004), the Portuguese system has tried to overcome, or at least manage, the historical difficulties in dealing with timeliness of administrative decisions, and generally, administrative silence. The current legal framework offers relevant incentives for timely decision, and judicial protection for citizens, when decisions are not taken in due time. Among these measures, Portuguese law shows a steady increase in the use of “positive silence” mechanisms, despite controversy among scholars. However, despite all the incentives and legal measures, several indicators apparently show that the existing rules have been unable to solve the basic problem of too long average times for administrative decisions. This possibly reveals that, in addition to some necessary improvements to the legal rules, there is still a cultural problem that needs to be addressed.
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Notes
- 1.
- 2.
The Portuguese Constitution is available, in English and French translations, at https://www.parlamento.pt/Legislacao/Paginas/ConstituicaoRepublicaPortuguesa.aspx.
- 3.
For reference regarding the current configuration of the Portuguese system of administrative justice, see Amado Gomes et al. (2016), Pereira da Silva (2009), Sérvulo Correia (2005a), and Vieira de Andrade (2017); and, in English, still relevant despite some legislative changes that occurred in 2015, Sérvulo Correia (2006).
- 4.
Framing the right in question in these restrictive terms, Miranda and Machete (2010, pp. 1025–1026).
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
Decision of the Supreme Administrative Court of 02-03-2004, proc. 1531/03; and decision of the Central Administrative Court (South), 11-04-2013, proc. 7084/11. These decisions are available (in Portuguese) at www.dgsi.pt.
- 8.
Aroso de Almeida (2016, p. 87).
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
Otero (2015, p. 113).
- 12.
As a matter of example, for Environmental Impact Assessment procedures, the deadline is 100 days; in building permits, deadlines of 30 or 45 days apply, according to the type of work to be carried out by the applicant.
- 13.
For an overview of the provisions regarding transparency and right of access to public information in Portuguese law, see Fidalgo de Freitas (2016).
- 14.
As a matter of example, the law states that upon receiving an application, the authority must invite the applicant to correct any insufficiencies in the application (Article 108 of the APC); but it does not state when this should be done. Article 86 of the APC should be applied.
- 15.
- 16.
- 17.
Otero (2015).
- 18.
Raising the issue, Amado Gomes (2013a, p. 145).
- 19.
See, on the point, Cortez (2001, p. 371).
- 20.
See, e.g., decisions of the Supreme Administrative Court of 31-03-2011, proc. 57/11; decision of the Supreme Administrative Court of 09-05-2012, proc. 1118/11.
- 21.
Silveira (2013).
- 22.
Only in cases where there is a “fair impediment,” with no fault of the competent authority (such as a proven technical malfunction not due to the authority’s conduct), will the risk of the “electronic delay” run on the part of the applicant. See, on this matter, França Jardim and Raimundo (2016).
- 23.
A relevant exception to the rule of deadlines in business days are deadlines which are by law superior to six months: These are counted in calendar days [Article 87(d) of the APC].
- 24.
This type of justification, however, seems to counter, e.g., the rule according to which citizens can carry out any action in administrative procedures by electronic means any day of the week [Article 104(2) of the APC].
- 25.
These cases are provided for by Article 124 of the APC and include, for example, urgency in the decision, or risk of harm to the public interest if the participant is warned beforehand of the intended decision.
- 26.
It is not impossible to think of a decision by a court (namely the Constitutional Court), stating that the deadline established by a given law is too long for the decision in question. Significantly enough, though, such a decision has never been taken by Portuguese courts.
- 27.
Otero (2003, p. 1006).
- 28.
- 29.
- 30.
Rebelo de Sousa and Salgado de Matos (2009, p. 390).
- 31.
Otero (2015, p. 419).
- 32.
- 33.
In fact, some laws, not so aware of the change in paradigm, continue, occasionally, to provide for situations of negative tacit acts. See, e.g., on the law of access to insurance and reinsurance activities—see Articles 56(2) and 219(2) of Law n. 147/2015, of 9 September; measures of reinforcement of the dynamism of the Portuguese capital market—see Article 7(5) of Decree-Law n. 77/2017, of 3o June; also, in Public Procurement law—see articles 102(2), 274(1) of the Public Contracts Code; and Article 106 of the Code of Tax Procedure and Process.
- 34.
- 35.
Otero (2015, pp. 417–418).
- 36.
Antunes (2016, p. 784).
- 37.
- 38.
Decision of the Supreme Court of Justice of 16-05-2018, proc. 76/17.1YFLSB.
- 39.
Silveira (2004, p. 101).
- 40.
See Article 134(1) of APC.
- 41.
See Article 134(2) and (3) APC.
- 42.
The “zero licensing” regime sets several cases of previous communications (Article 12) as well as several laws and decree-laws aimed to transpose the EU Services Directive (Article 4).
- 43.
See Articles 29(4) and 37(3) of Decree-Law n. 178/2006, of 5 September, as amended.
- 44.
See Article 23 of Decree-Law n. 127/2013, of 30 August, as amended.
- 45.
See Article 19(2) and (4) of Decree-Law n. 151-B/2013, of 31 October, as amended.
- 46.
See Articles 111(c) and 113 of Decree-Law n. 555/99, of 16 December, as amended.
- 47.
See Article 15(2) of Decree-Law n. 48/2011, of 1 April, as amended.
- 48.
For instance, Article 183-A of the Code for Tax Procedures before Tax Administration and Courts sets forth a case of positive silence for claims concerning the recognition of the expiry of guarantees.
- 49.
- 50.
The few authors taking position on the matter treat competence of the public body as a requirement for existence of the silent decision—Esteves de Oliveira et al. (1999 p. 484); or accept that a request presented before an entity not entitled to decide does not prevent a positive tacit decision to be formed if such entity has the duty to send the claim to the competent entity Silveira (2004), pp. 168–169.
- 51.
This happens because the time limit for reacting to an unlawful administrative decision before the administrative courts, as a rule (for situations of anulabilidade) is of only three months, in some cases less. Portuguese Administrative Law distinguishes these situations from the more severe situations of unlawfulness (nulidade), which, as of 2015, need to be provided for by a specific rule. For cases of nulidade, the law states that judicial review can be initiated at any time (i.e., it is under no statute of limitation).
- 52.
Not only Article 130(1), but another rule [Article 128(3) of the APC], regarding the moment when the time limit for decision begins.
- 53.
Deguergue (2015, p. 400).
- 54.
For example, if the law states that a request to obtain a certain permit to undertake seasonal economic activities should be presented up to 30 days prior to the beginning of the relevant season.
- 55.
It has been treated as such by authors: see Esteves de Oliveira et al. (1999, p. 485).
- 56.
Esteves de Oliveira et al. (1999, p. 485), Silveira (2004, pp. 188–194), Vasques (2013), and Folque (2016). This is a statement backed by the courts; see, inter alia, the Supreme Administrative Court decision of 10 September 2008, proc. 171/08-30; and the Central Administrative Court (South) decision of 26 September 2012, proc. 1538/06.1BEPRT. Some authors suggested that there would be a distinguo: For the most serious cases of unlawfulness (nulidade), there would be no production of the silent positive act; that would only happen with the less severe situations of unlawfulness (anulabilidade), which, as mentioned above, are the rule in Portuguese law; see, defending this position, Alves Correia (1993). However, this suggestion did not receive support.
- 57.
For a statement of this general principle, Silveira (2004, pp. 94, 101) and passim.
- 58.
Strongly disagreeing with this position, see, recently, Pereira da Silva and Macieirinha (2015).
- 59.
Article 23(1) of Decree-Law n. 127/2013, of 30 August, as amended, sets forth that the positive silence is formed if there is no ground to reject the claim.
- 60.
Silveira (2004, pp. 281–296).
- 61.
In the more severe cases of unlawfulness (nulidade), there is no deadline to adopt such decision but in the other cases of unlawfulness of anulabilidade there is a term to issue the decision.
- 62.
Article 9 of Decree-Law n. 92/2010 of 26 July sets forth that previous communication should be preferred instead of legal instruments where a decision from an administrative body is required.
- 63.
E.g., Article 62(4) of APC, article 23(3) of Decree-Law n. 127/2013, of 30 August, as amended.
- 64.
- 65.
See decisions of the Supreme Administrative Court of 1 October 2008, proc. 842/07; 31 March 2011, proc. 57/11; and 9 May 2012, proc. 1118/11.
- 66.
For a general overview of the rules on civil liability of the State and other public bodies, see, inter alia, Amado Gomes et al. (2018a).
- 67.
In general, concerning causes for exclusion of civil liability of public bodies, see Otero (2010).
- 68.
See, e.g., decision of the Central Administrative Court (South) of 21-04-2016, proc. 8639/12.
- 69.
In the decision of the Central Administrative Court (South) of 20-06-2013, proc. 6542/10, moral damages were awarded in a situation where a retirement pension, which was due by law, was requested in 2003, but only decided (favourably) by the competent authority in 2007.
- 70.
In this sense, e.g., Freitas do Amaral (2016b, p. 277), one of the most authoritative scholars in Portuguese administrative law claims that decisions being taken within the time prescribed by law is “a thing quite rare in Portugal!”
- 71.
See Portuguese Government (2016, p. 21), indicating that in a survey among citizens regarding the biggest problems identified with the functioning of public services, the problems most referred were “long waiting times” (with 61% of respondents) and “long times for reply from public services” (59% of respondents).
- 72.
See Portuguese Ombudsperson (Provedor de Justiça) (2018), p. 79. The Government has also recently acknowledged that applications for retirement pensions take, on average, 5 months to decide—even though the legal deadline is 90 days: see https://www.publico.pt/2018/09/18/economia/noticia/vieira-da-silva-admite-problema-no-pagamento-das-novas-pensoes-1844389, last accessed 5 April 2019.
- 73.
The authority responsible for giving public and private works permits (i.e., permits for acting as a contractor in public and private construction) and real estate broker permits (IMPIC, I.P.) advertises its average response times, which range from 9 to 20 days, according to the type of request—see http://www.impic.pt/impic/relatorios-e-dados-estatisticos/prazos-medios-de-licenciamento_3, last accessed 5 April 2019. This information is relevant, since Law nr 41/2015, of 3 June, puts in force a system of positive silence for these types of permits.
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Raimundo, M.A., Silveira, J.T., de Freitas, T.F., De Andrade Fabião, G. (2020). Administrative Silence in Portugal. In: Dragos, D., Kovač, P., Tolsma, H. (eds) The Sound of Silence in European Administrative Law. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45227-8_9
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