CAT/C/PRT/CO/7
United Nations
Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment
Distr.: General
18 December 2019
Original: English
Committee against Torture
Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of
Portugal*
1.
The Committee against Torture considered the seventh periodic report of Portugal
(CAT/C/PRT/7) at its 1796th and 1799th meetings (see CAT/C/SR.1796 and 1799), held on
19 and 20 November 2019, and adopted the present concluding observations at its 1814th
and 1815th meetings, held on 2 December 2019.
A.
Introduction
2.
The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for accepting the
optional reporting procedure, as this allows for a more focused dialogue between the State
party and the Committee. It regrets, however, that the report was submitted six months late.
3.
The Committee appreciates having had the opportunity to engage in a constructive
dialogue with the State party’s delegation, and the responses provided to the questions and
concerns raised during the consideration of the report.
B.
Positive aspects
4.
The Committee welcomes the ratification by the State party of the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, in 2014.
5.
The Committee also welcomes the State party’s initiatives to revise its legislation in
areas of relevance to the Convention, including:
(a)
The criminalization in 2015 of female genital mutilation and forced marriage
through Act No. 83/2015;
(b)
The enactment in 2015 of Act No. 130/2015, which amends the Code of
Criminal Procedure and is aimed at strengthening the protection of the rights of victims and
their relatives;
(c)
The enactment in 2015 of Act No. 142/2015, which amends Act No. 147/99
on the protection of children and young people at risk;
(d)
The enactment in 2017 of Act No. 93/2017, a new anti-discrimination law;
(e)
The enactment in 2017 of Act No. 94/2017, which regulates house arrest
under electronic monitoring and abolishes the weekend detention regime;
(f)
The enactment in 2018 of Act No. 38/2018 on the right to self-determination
of gender identity and gender expression and the protection of sex characteristics.
* Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-eighth session (11 November–6 December 2019).
GE.19-21960(E)