Gonçalo Amaral confirms he will appeal the damages decision to higher Court.

[ferryman]

ferryman stated  so up to him to substantiate.

Uncorroborated alerts are ignored.

That's the law

[ferryman]

The law says they can't be used as evidence, not ignored.

Ignored by a court of law.

Because they can't be used as evidence.

[Eleanor]

Any chance of a decision anytime soon?

[Carana]

It's obvious, isn't it?

Rather than (as widely touted I think!,) being the McCanns' trump-card,  the Zapata case will be Amaral's trump card, the deciding factor in reserving the legal tide in the libel trial and that will see Amaral, after all, triumph ....

LOL

I somewhat doubt that as the judge found that ascertaining whether what was in the criminal case files was "true" or not was beyond her remit.

[Carana]

Ignored by a court of law.

Because they can't be used as evidence.

I have no idea whether it would have been admitted as evidence in a PT criminal court or not. There doesn't appear to have been a precedent as they didn't have those dogs. On the other hand, any evidence not prohibited can be presented.

I find it quite possible that it would have been... but then it would be up to the judges / jury to actually read and take account of the caveat.

[Brietta]

Just need to wait a bit longer to see how that is going to pan out.

[Admin]

Just need to wait a bit longer to see how that is going to pan out.

Here we are on the 1st March 2016 and not a whisper from the appeal court in Lisbon.  Clearly they are struggling to bring closure to this case and still maintain some credibility.  The pressures on the Judges must be huge.

[Carana]

Here we are on the 1st March 2016 and not a whisper from the appeal court in Lisbon.  Clearly they are struggling to bring closure to this case and still maintain some credibility.  The pressures on the Judges must be huge.

Or perhaps there are simply a lot of appeal cases to wade through?

[faithlilly]

Here we are on the 1st March 2016 and not a whisper from the appeal court in Lisbon.  Clearly they are struggling to bring closure to this case and still maintain some credibility.  The pressures on the Judges must be huge.

I would imagine that if they were simply  rubber stamping the lower court judge's decision we would have heard by now.

[Jean-Pierre]

Here we are on the 1st March 2016 and not a whisper from the appeal court in Lisbon.  Clearly they are struggling to bring closure to this case and still maintain some credibility.  The pressures on the Judges must be huge.

I think the courts are under pressure, but simply due to number of cases.  So its a case of patience.  Decision should be sometime this year, ish.

a brief quote from Chambers and Partners website:

"On the basis of historic evidence, it is estimated that the second instance courts take on average between six months and one year to decide an appeal, and that the Supreme Court will take on average three to six months to issue a final decision."

http://www.chambersandpartners.com/guide/practice-guides/location/241/6617/1422-200

[ferryman]

I think the courts are under pressure, but simply due to number of cases.  So its a case of patience.  Decision should be sometime this year, ish.

a brief quote from Chambers and Partners website:

"On the basis of historic evidence, it is estimated that the second instance courts take on average between six months and one year to decide an appeal, and that the Supreme Court will take on average three to six months to issue a final decision."

http://www.chambersandpartners.com/guide/practice-guides/location/241/6617/1422-200

The first-instance decision was handed down on 28 April 2015.

So we aren't all that far from 11 months since then.

Shouldn't be that much longer ....

[Alice Purjorick]

The first-instance decision was handed down on 28 April 2015.

So we aren't all that far from 11 months since then.

Shouldn't be that much longer ....

I can scarcely contain my curiosity...................

[Eleanor]

The first-instance decision was handed down on 28 April 2015.

So we aren't all that far from 11 months since then.

Shouldn't be that much longer ....

Good God, has it been that long?  Doesn't the time fly when one is having fun.

However, what redress after the decision has been made, for either party?

[Carana]

I can scarcely contain my curiosity...................

Me neither.

Whatever the outcome of the appeal, it will only be about whether he had the legal right to write / narrate what he did (and even then in only his book, "documentary" and one article).

Even if the case is overturned and he wins the appeal, it would not mean that whatever he said / wrote is accurate in terms of what happened to the child... just that he had the right to express his view, however garbled his understanding appears to be.

[ferryman]

Good God, has it been that long?  Doesn't the time fly when one is having fun.

However, what redress after the decision has been made, for either party?

If the appeal-court decision precisely replicates the decision of the court of first-instance, that's it.

The decision of the court of first instance will be final and binding and will be irrevocably enforced.

The McCanns will have won.

And Amaral will have lost.

And GofundmeGocalo?

Heaven only knows.

Will quietly implode, I guess ....