The seventh edition of the Commentary reflects recent legislative developments in Portuguese criminal law, incorporating statutes enacted since the previous edition.
It includes:
- Law no. 26/2025, of March 19, which strengthens the criminal framework concerning offenses against law enforcement officers and other public service agents, amending the Penal Code and the Regime of Criminal Offenses.
- Law no. 67/2025, of November 24, which reinforces the protection of property rights by strengthening criminal safeguards for real estate subject to unlawful occupation, amending the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure.
- Law no. 72/2025, of December 23, which transposes Directive (EU) 2024/1226, defining criminal offenses and sanctions related to violations of European Union restrictive measures.
The first of these laws was enacted during the XVI Legislature, while the others belong to the current legislative cycle.
The edition also includes an update of case law. Jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Justice, and the Courts of Appeal has been updated up to March 1, 2026. The case law research was carried out by Dr. Beatriz Mateus de Albuquerque.
This edition takes into account recent academic work published in 2025, including:
- The fifth edition of Direito Penal – Parte Geral by Professor Américo Taipa de Carvalho
- The second volume of Curso de Direito Penal by Professor Duarte Rodrigues Nunes
- Determination of Sentencing and Constitutional Criminal Law by Professor Inês Ferreira Leite
- Criminal Law by Professor Maria Elisabete Ferreira
These contributions support a more structured understanding of current developments in criminal law and reinforce the Commentary as a relevant reference for practitioners and scholars.
