Portugal's justice system too slow, says president

Portugal's justice system is problematic and too slow, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Wednesday.

"The justice system is a problem, and the main problem is that it is too slow, and specially in more specialized areas," he said in a speech during an annual forum for Portuguese graduates in Coimbra, north Portugal.

He added that it was "not easy to solve" this problem and it had to do with organizational issues, pointing out that the justice system has "great professionals."

"A slow justice system is a huge constraint in cultural, economic and social terms," he pointed out.

Also on Wednesday, Rebelo de Sousa defended at the forum the need for consensus in Portugal's social systems, pointing out that health and social security need medium and long term policies.

"They are domains in which there can not be significant changes from government to government, from legislature to legislature," he said. "Sustainability of the social security system and of the national health system needs a medium and long term vision." Endit