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09 July 2024in RTP3 Comment by Carlos Melo Alves in reaction to the death of the former Attorney General

Carlos Melo Alves on the phone for RTP3's “3 às 16” on 9 July 2024

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‘The first word that comes to mind is that of a humble magistrate, despite the fact that her mandate was marked, [as you rightly say], by several media cases, the truth is that her discretion was remarkable throughout her mandate. It wasn't necessary to come to court to clarify, although media cases always cause some procedural turmoil, but the truth is that it wasn't necessary for the Prosecutor to come and stop any problem, as has now arisen in the current Prosecutor's mandate.
I had professional contact with Dr Joana Marques Vidal once or twice, most recently in the Tancos case in which she was a witness, and she was humble in a way that stood out for all those involved in the proceedings, because although it was a very tense trial and instance, she was always extremely dignified in her responses to all those involved in the proceedings and to me in particular, who had a difficult mission defending my client.

That's why I have a very, very favourable image of Dr Joana Marques Vidal, that's what I can say straight away.

[...]
Some say that it was after her mandate that there was a turning point in the fight against corruption. The truth is that this fight was so well received by all citizens that even politicians raised the possibility of her being reappointed. This is a testament to the quality and receptiveness with which we have all seen your mandate.

[...] Everyone was satisfied with the way she conducted her mandate, which is sometimes difficult, and we're seeing it now from the Prosecutor with cases in which corruption is being fought, particularly when they involve politicians, but in the mandate of Prosecutor Joana Marques Vidal things happened very discreetly. Everyone understood what her behaviour was and what the demands of a mandate were, and she was able to carry it out with quality and competence, which is why there was a very large section of the judiciary that wanted her to be reappointed, and the only reason she wasn't, I think, was because tradition dictated that there should be rotation in the appointment of prosecutors.

That's why, I repeat, I have a very favourable image of Prosecutor Joana Marques Vidal, above all because of her humility, and even more so because of the competent way she was. [...] I think she always played a preventative role. When it was necessary to stop a problem arising, she knew what to do. I remember some conversations I had with magistrates and they all shared the opinion that she was a magistrate who knew how to act when necessary and choose silence when she felt it wasn't necessary to go to the media. She probably had some experience of dealing with the media and, above all, she had a lot of support from the public prosecutor's office.