On June 24th, 2026, in Lisbon, Minister of Justice Sérgio Hornai met with Rita Alarcão Júdice, Minister of Justice of the Portuguese Republic, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the justice sector.
During the meeting at the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, the two delegations reviewed the current state of cooperation between the two countries. They identified new areas for collaboration, with a particular focus on strengthening human resources training, building the capacity of Timorese judicial authorities, and consolidating the national justice system. 
The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss Portugal’s continued support for the Centre for Legal and Judicial Training (CFJJ – acronym in Portuguese), including the implementation of the training programme for Timorese legal trainers, scheduled to begin in 2027. They also discussed ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries’ judicial training institutions, modernise registry and notary services, and share best practices to bring the justice system closer to citizens.
During the meeting, the Minister of Justice extended an official invitation to his Portuguese counterpart to attend the 19th Conference of Ministers of Justice of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, scheduled to take place in Dili in October 2026. Hosting the conference is part of the responsibilities assumed by Timor-Leste during its Pro Tempore Presidency of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP). It aims to promote cooperation among Member States in the field of justice.
On that occasion, the Portuguese Minister of Justice presented the Minister of Justice of Timor-Leste with copies of the compendium of Timor-Leste’s legislation, produced by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Justice Policy. The publication, which is Volume II of the collection, compiles and organises relevant legal instruments to facilitate access to legislation and support the development of the Timorese justice system.
While still in Lisbon, the Minister of Justice met with Appellate Judge Edgar Taborda Lopes, Director of Portugal’s Centre for Judicial Studies (CEJ – acronym in Portuguese), at CEJ’s offices in Largo do Limoeiro. The meeting provided an opportunity to explore ways to strengthen cooperation on training and capacity building for human resources in the justice sector, including judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and other judicial professionals. They also discussed continuing collaboration on the 8th Training Course for Judges, Prosecutors, and Public Defenders, as well as the possibility of CEJ support for the pedagogical training of future national trainers for the Centre for Legal and Judicial Training.
The Minister of Justice was accompanied by Manuel Serrano, the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Portugal; Nelinho Vital, the Director-General of Justice Policy at the Ministry of Justice; Flaviano Leão Moniz, the Justice Attaché of Timor-Leste to the United Kingdom; and Legal Advisor Mariana Machado Gomes.