The appeal court judges also examined the claim by the judge of the first instance that Amaral's freedom of speech was limited by his previous employment as a police officer.
"The appealed decision, however, reckons that the first (here) appellant, Gonçalo Amaral, because he coordinated the criminal investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann until 2/10/2007, remained, even after his retirement on 1/07/2008, subject to the duties of silence and reserve, regularly imposed on officials of the Judicial Police in activity."
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https://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Decision_19_04_2016.htm"Indeed, irrespective of the reasons given by the appellant for publication, it is hardly understandable that a civil servant, even more a retired one, should carry on his silence and reserve duties, thus limiting the exercise of his right to opinion as to the interpretation of facts already made public by the judicial authority and widely discussed (actually largely at the instigation of the protagonists themselves) in national and international media.
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https://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Decision_19_04_2016.htmTherefore;
"Given what has been discussed above, it is judged appropriate, in agreement with both appeals, to revoke the decision on appeal and, considering the action against them unjustified, to acquit the defendants-appellants of all the requests. Costs for both instances are to be paid by the claimants- respondent party."
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https://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/Decision_19_04_2016.htm