House Rejects No Confidence Motion Against Justice Minister Nordio

Rome: On Wednesday, the Lower House dismissed a no confidence motion filed by the centre-left opposition against Justice Minister Carlo Nordio. The motion was in response to Nordio’s handling of the arrest, release, and subsequent return to Libya of General Osama Almasri, the Libyan judicial police chief wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes.

According to Ansa News Agency, the motion was defeated by a significant margin, with 215 votes against and 119 in favor. The centrist opposition party, Azione, diverged from the rest of the centre-left by abstaining from the vote, thereby influencing the outcome.

Nordio addressed the House prior to the vote, accusing his opponents of using the situation to hinder a proposed reform of the judiciary. This reform aims to separate the career paths of judges and prosecutors and to revise the election process for members of the judiciary’s self-governing body. He likened their actions to an “inquisition” and refuted claims that he delayed his response to the Rome appeals court, which permitted Almasri’s release and return to Libya shortly after his January 19 arrest in Turin.

Following the vote, Nordio expressed satisfaction, stating, “Parliament is sovereign and anything it decides represents the will of the people.” He reaffirmed his commitment to judicial reform, asserting that he would not retreat “even by a centimetre” from his plans. “The reform will move forward without hesitations,” he added.

The proposed constitutional reform bill has already secured initial approval from the Lower House, marking the first of at least four parliamentary votes required for its enactment. The bill seeks to establish a high court to discipline judiciary members and revamp the election process for the judiciary’s self-governing body, the CSM, by introducing a draw process.

The reform faces opposition from the National Association of Magistrates, the judiciary’s union, which argues that it will undermine judicial independence and place prosecutors under the executive’s influence. Nordio has dismissed these concerns, maintaining that the reform will not compromise judicial integrity.