Too much rhetoric ahead of judiciary referendum

Italy will vote on 22–23 March on a constitutional reform that would separate the career paths of judges and prosecutors, ending the current system under which magistrates belong to the same professional body and may switch roles during their careers.

Speaking at an ANSA Forum on Monday, Nordio acknowledged that the tone of the debate had become overheated. “We all overdid our tone,” he said. “I must say that some of the tones were particularly unpleasant, especially when they came from magistrates. From now on, let’s talk only about the substance.”

The minister last week said he would comply with an extraordinary appeal from President Sergio Mattarella to show respect for the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura (CSM), the judiciary’s self-governing body, after he described it as featuring a “para-mafioso system”. The remark drew criticism from opposition parties and sections of the judiciary.

What is the proposed Italian judiciary reform?

The reform is a central plank of the government’s justice agenda under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni and Nordio argue that splitting the careers of judges and prosecutors will make the system fairer and more efficient, reduce the influence of internal factions and strengthen the perception of impartiality in criminal trials.

Under the current system, magistrates enter the judiciary through a single competitive examination and may, in theory, move between judging and prosecuting roles. In practice, only a small minority do so. However, the government maintains that the shared career structure risks creating overly close professional ties that could undermine defendants’ confidence in impartial proceedings.