Almudena Del Castillo, predoctoral researcher in the project led by Susana Sanz on the crisis of the Rule of Law in the EU, recently visited the Faculty of Law at the Catholic University of Portugal, located in Lisbon.

On January 20, 21, and 22, Almudena Del Castillo made a short visit to the Faculty of Law at the Catholic University of Portugal, situated on the Palma de Cima campus in Lisbon. During her visit, she met with Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque, a former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) from 2011 to 2020 and currently a Full Professor at the Faculty of Law. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on her doctoral thesis, which she is conducting under the supervision of Dr. Sanz.
Her thesis focuses on judicial independence and the Rule of Law, specifically addressing the interference of the executive branch in the appointment of judges to high judicial bodies, such as Constitutional Courts and Supreme Courts, in the EU Member States.
In this regard, Dr. Pinto de Albuquerque shared his experience as an ECHR judge, discussed some of his most significant rulings on judicial independence and appointments, and provided key bibliographic resources to support her research.
The doctoral candidate also toured the university facilities and gained access to its extensive bibliographic resources, which allowed her to gather valuable information for her investigation.
Furthermore, Almudena Del Castillo had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Gonçalo de Almeida Ribeiro, who has served as the Vice President of the Constitutional Court of Portugal since May 11, 2023, and also teaches constitutional law at the Catholic University of Portugal.


During their meeting, Almudena presented the main lines of her research, which focuses on the concept of judicial capture by the executive branch. This sparked the interest of the Vice President, who provided her with valuable bibliographic references at both national and European levels.
These encounters proved highly beneficial for the doctoral candidate, serving as reflective spaces where she gained practical insights into her primary research areas from two renowned and highly competent jurists. The meetings also allowed her to compare the state of judicial independence in Spain and Portugal—two geographically neighboring countries with significant differences in the functioning of their judicial systems.
This short but productive visit also served to strengthen and establish future avenues for collaboration.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque, Dr. Gonçalo de Almeida Ribeiro, and the Catholic University of Portugal for their warm welcome, hospitality, and willingness to share their experiences, knowledge, and advice with the young researcher.