acórdão

An acórdão is a type of judicial decision issued by a collegiate court, typically appellate courts, in Portuguese-speaking legal systems such as Portugal and Brazil. It represents the collective judgment of multiple judges on a case that has been appealed from a lower court. Unlike a judgment from a single judge, an acórdão is the result of deliberation and voting among the judges of the panel.

The term itself, derived from Latin "accordare," signifies agreement. This reflects the nature of an acórdão as a consensus or agreement reached by the judges. It is a formal document that outlines the court's decision, the legal reasoning behind it, and any dissenting or concurring opinions from individual judges. This reasoned exposition is crucial for understanding the court's interpretation of the law and its application to the specific facts of the case.

Acórdãos play a vital role in the judicial hierarchy, serving as precedents for lower courts and contributing to the development of legal jurisprudence. They are the final decisions of appellate courts unless further appeals are permitted. The process leading to an acórdão usually involves a review of the case records, oral arguments from the parties involved, and extensive legal research by the judges and their staff. The issuance of an acórdão signifies the resolution of the dispute at that appellate level.