Afonso Costa

Afonso Augusto da Costa, GCTE, GCL (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈfõsu ˈkɔʃtɐ]; born at Seia, 6 March 1871; died at Paris, 11 May 1937) was a Portuguese lawyer, professor, and republican politician. He was the leader of the Portuguese Republican Party, and he was one of the major figures of the Portuguese First Republic. He was a republican deputy in the Chamber of Deputies during the last years of the monarchy. After the proclamation of the repub... more

Afonso Augusto da Costa, GCTE, GCL (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈfõsu ˈkɔʃtɐ]; born at Seia, 6 March 1871; died at Paris, 11 May 1937) was a Portuguese lawyer, professor, and republican politician. He was the leader of the Portuguese Republican Party, and he was one of the major figures of the Portuguese First Republic. He was a republican deputy in the Chamber of Deputies during the last years of the monarchy. After the proclamation of the republic, he was Justice Minister during Teófilo Braga's provisional government, which lasted from 5 October 1910 to 3 September 1911. He signed the controversial laws that expelled the Jesuits from Portugal, abolished all the religious orders, and established the separation of church and state. He became a symbol of the anticlericalism of the First Republic. He was also instrumental in the passage of many other progressive laws, such as those concerning: divorce, family relations, civil registry of marriage, leases of property, judicial... less