Helena Afonso was born in Mozambique in 1967. She holds a degree in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon (1985/1990) and a post-graduate degree in European Studies from the European Institute of the same Faculty. She has first practiced as a lawyer, and then has held technical, intermediate and senior management positions in the Public…

Sofia Amaral do Nascimento Rodrigues Câmara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Financial Law, as well as a postgraduate qualification in Education for Sustainable Global Peace, under the UNESCO Chair programme. Her professional career includes experience at the Bank of Portugal and the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM), as well as serving as Head of the…

Tiago Fidalgo de Freitas holds an LL.M. from New York University School of Law (New York, USA) and the European University Institute (Florence, Italy). He is an Invited Assistant Professor at the University of Lisbon School of Law, where he obtained his law degree, and has been an Assistant Researcher and Executive Coordinator of the Lisbon Public Law Research Centre…

João Lázaro holds a degree in Law and a postgraduate qualification in Victim-Offender Mediation and Restorative Justice. He served as Secretary-General of APAV from 1995 to 2007, as Vice-President and Executive Director from 2007 to 2012, and as Chief Executive Officer from 2012 to 2026, a position he held until his appointment as Deputy Ombudsman. He practised as a lawyer…