Two lawyers will receive more than €33, 000 after European Court of Human Rights judges backed their free expression complaint against Portugal.
Gouveia Gomes Fernandes and Freitas e Costa v. Portugal (no. 1529/08)
The applicants, Luís Gouveia Gomes Fernandes and João Manuel Pereira de Lima de Freitas e Costa, are two Portuguese nationals who were born in 1957 and 1962 respectively and live in Lisbon. They are both lawyers. In a court ruling which became final in 2007 they were found civilly liable for defamation after making comments in the press which were deemed to be damaging to a judge’s reputation, concerning her alleged involvement in corruption.
Relying on Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the Convention, they complained of the court ruling against them.
Violation of Article 10
Just satisfaction
- pecuniary damage: 33,484.83 euros (EUR), jointly
- non-pecuniary damage: EUR 1,500, each
- costs and expenses: EUR 5,000, jointly
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