Tribunal Judicial da Comarca do Porto (District Court of Porto)
The Judicial Court of the District of Porto, headquartered at the Palace of Justice of Porto, has, since April 23, 2019, integrated 44 specialized courts, distributed across 9 of the 10 municipalities that make up the district: Gondomar, Maia, Matosinhos, Porto, Póvoa de Varzim, Santo Tirso, Trofa, Valongo, Vila do Conde, and Vila Nova de Gaia.
As established in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, the courts, in the exercise of judicial power, are responsible for administering justice in the name of the people, whose trust grants them legitimacy, just as it does for other State powers.
In 2022, in recognition of the sustainability best practices adopted by the Judicial Court of the District of Porto and the positive impact generated on the surrounding environment, the buildings in the municipalities of Porto, Gondomar, Póvoa de Varzim, and Vila do Conde were awarded the “Green Heart” certification.
Pursuing its informally established objectives, the Judicial Court of the District of Porto participated in the 14th edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction, in collaboration with LIPOR.
Climate action
The District Court of Porto has been implementing several initiatives in order to raise the levels of energy efficiency and good environmental practices. Internally, the gradual intervention in the opaque and glazed surroundings of buildings continues, promoting thermal insulation, intervention in lighting systems through the installation of LED light bulbs, intervention in ventilation systems, with gradual replacement by more efficient equipment, paper-free procedures, awareness of double-sided and economic mode printing. When using the car fleet, preference is given to the use of electric vehicles and routes are optimised. The Directorate-General for Health “Take the stairs” programme was introduced in order to reduce the use of lifts.
In waste management, the plastic, paper, and undifferentiated waste separation system was implemented with the collaboration of intermunicipal waste management services, awareness-raising campaigns, and selective separation infrastructures in the workplaces. The confidential destruction of paper is carried out by an authorised entity and the waste is duly forwarded. Ink cartridges and batteries are also recycled. A document on good practice for the management of generated waste is sent to suppliers and service providers.
Testimony
Recognising the importance of the Porto Climate Pact, the District Court of Porto, by joining, clearly expresses its commitment to improving energy efficiency, the use of renewable energies, water efficiency, and intervention in air conditioning systems, which are the guiding pillars of the process of continuous improvement of environmental performance and sustainability for the future.
Ausenda Gonçalves
Magistrate judge, President of the District Court of Porto, 2022