The president of the judiciary's
union, the National Association of Magistrates (ANM) said that a
nationwide strike against the government's planned reform to
separate the career paths of prosecutors and judges so members
of the judiciary can no longer switch between the two roles was
being staged on Thursday to defend the Constitution and not the
interests of magistrates.
"It isn't a strike against someone but in defence of a series of
principles of the Constitution in which we firmly believe and
which are fundamental for citizens", the president of ANM,
Cesare Parodi, told Radio 24.
"It is everything but a defence of the corporation.
"We are not defending any privilege", stressed Parodi.
ANM has long criticized the Constitutional reform bill, drafted
by Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, saying it will weaken the
judiciary and is aimed at placing State attorneys under the
executive's control.
Nordio has repeatedly rejected such a claim.
The Constitutional reform bill - which has received the first of
at least four necessary parliamentary votes for its approval -
also creates a high court to discipline members of the judiciary
and changes the make-up of the judiciary's self-governing body,
the CSM, overhauling the way CSM justices are elected, using a
draw process.
Speaking on Thursday, the newly elected president of ANM Parodi
specifically warned against the "concrete risk" of "prosecutors
being influenced" by "strong powers" if the reform is approved.
"This would be the most negative impact for common citizens",
whom ANM has reiterated would be better safeguarded by a State
attorney who, as a magistrate coordinating investigations, is
currently obligated to present evidence in favour of the
defence, as well as the prosecution during a trial.
"We fear that the revisitation of the role of prosecutors which
today guarantees all citizens" because State attorneys are
currently "free to verify facts in a comprehensive manner", said
Parodi.
"Giving up on this guarantee would be very grave", warned the
ANM president.
In a video released on the eve of the strike, the union said
judges have convicted defendants taken to trial by State
Attorneys in less than half of the cases over the past five
years, quoting statistics on Italian legal proceedings.
In addition, the judiciary's union said switching between roles,
which is only allowed once in a magistrate's career and requires
moving to a different appeals court, has concerned 0.5% of
members of the judiciary over the past five years.
Magistrates striking across Italy included judges and
prosecutors at Italy's supreme Cassation Court who staged a
protest on the steps of the building in Piazza Cavour in Rome,
wearing a cockade with the colours of the Italian flag on their
robes and carrying a copy of the Constitution.
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