Psicologia Forense em Portugal: Uma história de responsabilidades e desafios

this paper outlines the general features of forensic psychology in portugal, firstly in a historical perspective and under the broader scope of legal and juridical psychology, and more recently as an autonomous discipline which has been receiving more and more demands from the judicial field. accordingly, data from the forensic practice held at the university of minho’s unit of psychology of justice are presented, along with results from recent research that states the acceptance and the importance of forensic evaluation for judicial magistrates. concerning the new challenges posed by recent legal changes in portugal and the continuous demands from the courts, the author emphasizes the ethic issues that should guide the work of the expert on forensic psychology, in order to safeguard his professional practice and social image.