We review the main budgetary measures not accepted by the Portuguese Constitutional Court in the Budget Laws of 2012, 2013 and 2014. Considering the feedback effect of the fiscal impulse, the impact on the budget balance is -0.42% and of -0.34% of GDP respectively for 2013 and for 2014; in both...

Because of fears that litigation is too costly, reduction of litigation expenses has been the touchstone of procedural reform for the past thirty years. In certain circumstances, however, the parties have incentives — both rational and irrational — to spend more on a lawsuit than the social...

Courts face a "catch-22" as a independent branch. On one hand court officials feel the need to remain "above politics" in order to secure the legitimacy of the branch and to remain independent. On other hand, courts must negotiate the very political budget process, interact effectively with the...

This article deals with the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) financial accountability. It conceptualizes financial accountability, evaluates its practice and submits proposals for reform. It can thereby rely on, to date, unstudied, and partly unpublished documents from the EU budgetary process....