From December 18, 2016, the electronic edition of the National Official Journal (DRE) is available for all, ensuring a public service of universal and free access to legal information and a set of new functionalities.

The measures SIMPLEX + and the aims of the XXI Constitutional Government Program have opened the access to material in terms of legislative simplification and transparency of access to legal information. To the subscribers and others citizens related to the old DRE, there’s a new and more friendly tool for legislation research and an easier way to acquire consolidated legislation.

From now on, it is available the following options: an intuitive and user-friendly search engine for legislation; up-to-date information on what laws are in force, their successive amendments or their termination; identification of the regulations associated with each law, with information on orders and orders necessary for its application and compliance; access to databases of the decisions of the Portuguese courts; a legal translator to facilitate the understanding of foreign legislation and the access of foreigners to Portuguese legislation; access to official newspapers of foreign countries, including European and Portuguese-speaking; an automated system for converting images into sound for easier access by citizens with visual impairments; open and easily usable formats, regardless of the technological support used by users; a mechanism for receiving electronic notices, via email, about updates of legislation.

This is an important improvement towards the administrative modernization and quick communication based on comprehensibility of public decisions by those whom it is directed, aiming to the dissemination of knowledge and the formation of more well-informed citizens.

Source: Electronic Official Journal (Dre)