Cabo Verde - October 2025

On 1 October, Cabo Verde’s government established two new courts designed to address persistent capacity shortfalls within the judicial system that have impaired access to justice in the country. The first is a specialised Criminal Investigation Court, which has been created in the Praia District Court and will deal with the investigation phase of criminal proceedings, which had become a particular bottleneck in the capital. The government has also established a new district court for the São Miguel municipality, on the island of Santiago, which had previously fallen within the jurisdiction of the overburdened district court in neighbouring Tarrafal. It is therefore expected to reduce case backlogs, as well as localise justice for the residents of São Miguel, which was the last Cabo Verdean municipality to receive its own district court.      

Sources: Portaria n.º 36/2025, de 01 outubro, Lei n.º 61/X/2025, de 21 agosto,  Inforpress (1), Inforpress (2), Portal Justiça