DILI, 07 July 2026 (TATOLI) – President of the republic J. Ramos-Horta recently hosted a high-level dialogue at the Presidential Palace with Appellate Judge Cristina Gaulia from the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice to discuss the potential implementation of an “Itinerant Justice” program.
The meeting brought together top state leadership, including the Prime Minister, the President of the National Parliament, the President of the Court of Appeal, and other key justice sector authorities.
“The primary focus was to learn from Brazil’s successful mobile court system and explore how its framework could be adapted to serve the people of Timor-Leste,” said in a statement.
During the dialogue, President Ramos-Horta highlighted the urgent need to decentralize legal services for citizens living in remote mountain villages.
Currently, these populations face significant geographic barriers, often having to travel long distances to reach courts in Dili, Baucau, or Suai. By adopting the Brazilian model of “justice in motion,” the state hopes to deploy complete legal teams—comprising judges, prosecutors, and lawyers—directly into local rural communities, guaranteeing that every Timorese citizen has direct and fair access to the justice system.
Reaffirming his steadfast commitment to state-building, the Head of State emphasized that the continuous development of the justice sector is a vital national obligation that must operate independently of government political cycles.
Furthermore, President Ramos-Horta expressed his optimism regarding the nation’s broader judicial reforms, noting that the long-awaited Supreme Court is expected to be officially established by November of this year, a historic milestone that will finalize the structural independence of Timor-Leste’s judiciary.
TATOLI
