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Judgments handed down in the UK prior to BREXIT are automatically recognized and enforced in Portugal

 The Court of Appeal of Guimarães clarified, in case law 121/21.6YREVR, of 16 December 2021, that decisions handed down by the United Kingdom courts prior to BREXIT are recognized in other Member States without any formalities, and should be enforced in another Member State without the need of a declaration of enforceability.

The case regards the request for review and confirmation of two decisions of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, as it is normally required in order to have a foreign decision recognized and enforced in Portugal.

However, pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, from 12/12/2012, on the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters, judgments given in a Member State of the European Union are recognized and can be carried out in other Member States automatically.

In fact, on 01/31/2020 the United Kingdom formally left the European Union, however these sentences were handed down before Brexit.

Hence, the judicial decisions in discussion could not be confirmed and revised, since it is completely unnecessary to take part in special procedures in order to have them enforced.

By this case law The Évora Court of Appeal elucidates that the decisions given by the courts of the United Kingdom before Brexit take effect automatically in Portugal.