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Portugal / Court of Appeal / 23/14.2T8VCT-A.G1

Father of the child v the mother of the child
Policy area
Education, training, youth, sport
Deciding body type
National Court/Tribunal
Deciding body
Court of Appeal of Guimarães
Type
Decision
Decision date
23/02/2017

Den Europæiske Unions charter om grundlæggende rettigheder

Title III: Equality

Article 24 - The rights of the child

VIEW FULL CASE
  • Portugal / Court of Appeal / 23/14.2T8VCT-A.G1

    Key facts of the case:

    The father of the child complained to the court alleging that the mother of the child had failed to comply with the parental responsibility agreement. In summary, the father of the child claimed that the mother of the child decided to change the child's residence and school without his consent and, on the other hand, that she did not comply with the system of visits to which she was bounded by sentence, and  also that she did not take care of the child's health. The father of the minor has also requested that the Court condemned the mother to a fine. The First Instance Court did not give reason to the child’s father, so the father appealed to a higher Court. This case reflects the decision of this Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal decided the case under the terms of Law 141/2015, of 8 September, which establishes the general rules of the jurisdictional civil process of minors.

    Outcome of the case:

    The Court clarified that only the illicit and guilty conduct of the mother would be relevant to the conviction. After analysing the facts of the case, the Court concluded that the mother was not guilty. The child's mother did not breach her duties in the context of parental responsibilities and did not offend any of the rights of the child. So, the Court did not give reason to the child’s father, maintaining the Lower Court's decision and did not condemn the mother to the payment of a fine.

  • Paragraphs referring to EU Charter

    Article 3 (1) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that "in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration”.

    The same concern is expressed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union when transcribing that principle into the provisions on children's rights - Article 24 (2).

    As Rosa Cândido Martins has noted, "The Charter welcomed the new understanding of the child as a developing human being, especially vulnerable but endowed with a progressive capacity, lacking special protection but also an active subject in the construction of his or her future to whom specific rights must be recognised. It also adopted a child-centred perspective by setting the child's best interest in all decisions and by recognising to him or her the right to protection and care for his or her well-being, the right to express his or her opinion freely and to be taken into account in all matters concerning him or her, and the right to maintain personal relations and contacts with both parents”. The same author added that article 24 of the Charter "incorporates two fundamental principles on the rights of the child: the principle of the protection of the child and the principle of the promotion of his or her autonomy" (in the "Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union annotated”, Almedina, pp. 305-311).

  • Paragraphs referring to EU Charter (original language)

    Dispõe o n.º 1 do art.º 3.º da Convenção da ONU sobre os Direitos da Criança que “todas as decisões relativas a crianças, adotadas por instituições públicas, ou privadas de proteção social, por tribunais, autoridade administrativa ou órgãos legislativos, terão primacialmente em conta o interesse superior da criança.

    A mesma preocupação se verifica na Carta dos Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia ao transcrever aquele princípio no dispositivo relativo aos direitos das crianças – art.º 24.º, n.º 2.

    Como refere a Prof. Rosa Cândido Martins “A Carta acolheu o novo entendimento da criança como ser humano em desenvolvimento, especialmente vulnerável mas dotado de uma capacidade progressiva, carecido de especial protecção mas também sujeito ativo na construção do seu futuro ao qual devem ser reconhecidos direitos específicos. Adoptou também uma perspectiva dos direitos da criança centrada na própria criança ao erigir como critério orientador fundamental o melhor interesse da criança relativamente a todas as decisões e atos que lhe digam respeito e ao reconhecer-lhe o direito à proteção e aos cuidados necessários ao seu bem-estar, o direito a exprimir livremente a sua opinião e a que esta seja tomada em consideração nos assuntos que lhe dizem respeito e o direito de manter relações pessoais e contactos diretos com ambos os progenitores”, referindo ainda que o art.º 24.º “integra dois princípios fundamentais em matéria de direitos da criança: o princípio da protecção da criança e o princípio da promoção da sua autonomia” (in “Carta dos Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia” Comentada, Almedina, pág. 305-311).