Judicial Reform Sparks Concerns Over Autonomy and Independence in Italy

Rome: The judiciary’s union, the National Association of Magistrates (ANM), on Thursday expressed concern over a constitutional reform bill it said hinders the autonomy and independence of magistrates after the Lower House gave its first green light to the draft measure. “We reiterate our deep concern for a constitutional reform that puts at risk the autonomy and the independence of the judiciary,” the ANM said in a note, after the Lower House voted in favour of the bill with 174 votes in favour, 92 against, and five abstentions.

According to Ansa News Agency, the constitutional reform bill, which separates the career paths of judges and prosecutors, will need two votes in both houses of parliament before final approval and could be subjected to a referendum. The judiciary’s union said the reform is “wrong” as it “does not improve in any way the service of the judiciary but only acts on magistrates and takes away the guarantees of all Italians.”

The ANM expressed that the separation of careers leads to the isolation of prosecutors and diminishes their role as guarantors. This concern refers to the current system where State attorneys must provide all evidence, including exculpatory evidence, to the defense. “While respecting the choices of legislators, we want to sound the alarm, once again, on the risks that this reform will entail,” ANM concluded in the note.