Protests over a draft constitutional law on the division of judicial careers have once again exacerbated tensions between Italy’s judiciary and the government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to Euractiv.
In Naples, judges and prosecutors walked out with copies of the Constitution during a speech by Justice Minister Carlo Nordio. The bill, approved by the Chamber of Deputies in its first reading on 16 January 2025, makes a significant amendment to Section IV of the Constitution.
It clearly separates the careers of members of the judiciary, requiring judges and prosecutors to choose their roles at the start of their careers without the possibility of switching later.
The reform also proposes two separate High Councils for judges and prosecutors. The members of these councils will be chosen at random, rather than by election of their colleagues. A High Disciplinary Court will supervise the behaviour of judges.
The Italian National Association of Judges (ANM) is strongly opposed to the reform, and its president Giuseppe Santalucia has criticised the proposal. He warned that it would weaken control over investigations into confidential matters and undermine constitutional principles.
On Saturday, however, Meloni described the reform as “perfectly in line with constitutional principles.” During her visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, she insisted that the government’s decisions were fully in line with its electoral mandate.
The European Commission, in turn, argued that the method of random drawing of lots to select members of the Judicial Council did not guarantee adequate representation of judges elected by their peers. Many legal experts claimed that Meloni used the decrees to circumvent rulings on Albanian migrants.
