Participation principle in Portuguese administrative procedure code: innovations in Decree-law n. 4/2015

Abstract

This paper analyses the participation principle in Portuguese administrative procedure, confronting it with the Brazilian reality. The analysis address the changes introduced by Decree-Law n. 4/2015 of 7 January, called in Portugal the “New Administrative Procedure Code”, approaching especially the right to participate in the decision-making process of public policies, acts and administrative contracts. It also aims to present the possibilities to challenge such administrative decisions when the rights of individuals are not respected in the administrative procedure, which is held in Portugal as a fundamental right, the guarantor of the human dignity principle. The method of approach was deductive, used to research texts of law and doctrine. We conclude that, as in Brazil, in Portugal there is the formal recognition of the participation principle in the law system, but there is still much to advance in both countries to make this principle a reality in public activity.