Questioning of persons - national procedures for ICC proceedings

Portuguese Republic

Law No. 144/99, of 31 August, on International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters

Part I
General

CHAPTER I
Subject-matter, scope and general principles of international judicial co-operation in criminal matters


Article 11
Protection of confidentiality

1. In implementing a request for international co-operation submitted to Portugal, the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure and supplementary legislation concerning grounds of refusal to testify, seizure of property, telephone tapping, professional or State secrets, or any other cases in which confidentiality is protected, shall apply.

2. The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall apply to any information that according to the request, ought to be given by persons not involved in the foreign criminal proceedings.

Part I
General

CHAPTER I
Subject-matter, scope and general principles of international judicial co-operation in criminal matters

Article 11
Protection of confidentiality

1. In implementing a request for international co-operation submitted to Portugal, the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure and supplementary legislation concerning grounds of refusal to testify, seizure of property, telephone tapping, professional or State secrets, or any other cases in which confidentiality is protected, shall apply.

2. The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall apply to any information that according to the request, ought to be given by persons not involved in the foreign criminal proceedings.

Part II
Extradition

CHAPTER I
Extradition from Portugal

Section II
Extradition procedure

Article 53
Appearance of the person claimed

1. The authority that proceeds to the arrest of the person claimed shall, through the most expedite means that afford evidence in writing, immediately inform the public prosecutor attached to the ""Tribunal da Relação"l" that has jurisdiction over the request.

2. Within 48 hours of his arrest, the person claimed must appear before the public prosecutor for the purpose of being heard; any property seized shall accompany the person.

3. The judge rapporteur shall hear the person after having appointed a legal counsel for that person if the latter has not done it himself.

4. The person shall be personally summoned to the hearing and informed of his right to be assisted by both a legal counsel and an interpreter.

5. Where for one reason or another the arrest cannot be examined by the ""Tribunal da Relação"l", the person must appear before public prosecutor attached to the court of first instance that has jurisdiction over the area of the seat of the ""Tribunal da Relação"l" that has jurisdiction over the request.

6. In the case mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the hearing shall have as its sole purpose for the judge of the court of first instance to examine whether the arrest was legal and whether it may continue; the public prosecutor shall take whatever measures are necessary in order to ensure that the person appears in the first working day that follows.


Article 54
Hearing of the person claimed

1. In the presence of the public prosecutor and the legal counsel of the person claimed, and if necessary with the assistance of an interpreter, the judge rapporteur shall proceed to the identification of the person and shall inform him of his right to object to his extradition, of his right to consent to his extradition, of the possibility opened to him to relinquish the benefits of the rule of speciality in accordance with the applicable treaty law.

2. If the person claimed declares that he consents to being surrendered to the requesting State, the provisions of paragraphs 2 to 5 of Article 40 shall apply mutatis mutandis. If the person claimed declares that he objects to his extradition, the judge shall assess the reasons for the objection, should the person wish to state such reasons, and produce a written record of the hearing.

3. If the possibility is opened to the person claimed to relinquish the benefits of the rule of speciality, as mentioned in paragraph 1 above, a verbatim account of the information provided on the rule of speciality shall be written into the record of the hearing, along with the statements of the person; the provisions of paragraphs 2 to 5 of Article 40 shall apply mutatis mutandis.

4. The information mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall also be written into the record of the hearing, if under the applicable treaty law it is still possible for the person, after his surrender, to relinquish the benefits of the rule of speciality before the authorities of the requesting State.

5. Both the public prosecutor and the legal counsel may suggest questions for the judge, if he deems the questions appropriate, to put to the person.

6. The provisions of paragraphs 3 and 4 shall also apply to re-extradition.

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(c) The questioning of any person being investigated or prosecuted;