The Organization of the Judicial System in Italy

• Author: Giuseppe Franco Ferrari
• Position: Full Professor of Constitutional Law at Bocconi University (Milan, Italy)
• Pages: 37-52

Licenciado bajo Licencia Creative Commons

Licensed under Creative Commons

Revista Eurolatinoamericana

de Derecho Administrativo

ISSN 2362-583X

The Organization of the Judicial System in Italy

La organización del sistema judicial en Italia

GIUSEPPE FRANCO FERRARI I,*

I Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi (Milan, Italy)

ferrari.giuseppe@unibocconi.it

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7467-0443

Recibido el/Received: 05.11.2019 / November 5th, 2019

Aprobado el/Approved: 23.01.2020 / January 23rd, 2020

DOI: 10.14409/redoeda.v7i1.8716

Como citar este artículo | How to cite this article: FERRARI, Giuseppe Franco. The Organization of the Judicial System in Italy.

Revista Eurolatinoamericana de Derecho Administrativo, Santa Fe, vol. 7, n. 1, p. 37-52, ene./jun. 2020. DOI 10.14409/

redoeda.v7i1.8716.

* Full Professor of Constitutional Law at Bocconi University (Milan, Italy). Visiting Professor and Fulbright Scholar at the University

of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville. Visiting Professor at the Universities of Barcelona and Coimbra, and at the London

School of Economics. E-mail: ferrari.giuseppe@unibocconi.it.

37

Abstract:

This paper provides a complete overview of the orga-

nization of the Judicial system in Italy with the aim to

examine the relationships between the various organs

operating in its eld. It analyzes the structure and func-

tions of all the bodies involved in various ways in the

administration of justice: the Ministry of Justice, which

exercises essentially organizational powers and which

has the task of guaranteeing the overall eciency of the

system; the self-governing bodies of the judiciary, which

ensure its independence from other State Powers, and

the single judicial oces dislocated over the peninsula.

Particular attention is dedicated to the complex system

governed by the laws set in order to provide for discipli-

nary procedures and job evaluation, which involve both

the eciency of the judges and their relationship with

the bodies involved in the administration of the system.

Keywords: Italy; judicial system; ministry of justice; judi-

ciary independence; administration.

Resumen:

Este trabajo ofrece una visión completa de la organización

del sistema judicial en Italia con el objetivo de examinar

las relaciones entre los distintos órganos que operan en su

ámbito. Asimismo, analiza la estructura y las funciones de

todos los órganos que intervienen de diversas maneras en

la administración de justicia: el Ministerio de Justicia, que

ejerce esencialmente competencias organizativas y que tie-

ne la misión de garantizar la ecacia global del sistema; los

órganos de autogobierno de la judicatura, que garantizan

su independencia respecto de otros poderes del Estado; y las

ocinas judiciales únicas diseminadas por la península. Se

dedica una atención especial al complejo sistema regulado

por las leyes establecidas para prever los procedimientos

disciplinarios y de valoración de puestos de trabajo, que

implican tanto la ecacia de los jueces como su relación

con los órganos que intervienen en la administración del

sistema.

Palabras clave: Italia; sistema judicial; ministerio de justi-

cia; independencia judicial; administración.

R. E . D  A., Sant a Fe, vol. 7, n. 1 , p. 37-52, ene./jun . 2020.

Giuseppe Franco Ferrari

Rev. Eurol atin. Direi to Adm., Sant a Fe, vol. 7, n. 1 , p. 37-52, ene./jun . 2020.

38

Contents

1. The Organization of the Administration of Justice; 1.1. The Minister of Justice;

1.2. The Superior Council of the Judiciary; 1.3. The Judiciary Councils; 1.4. The Admin-

istration of the Judicial Oces; 2. Judges and Prosecutors; 2.1. The Judicial Oces;

2.2. The Oces of the Public Prosecutors; 3. Directive and semi-directive Oces; 4. Dis-

ciplinary Regulations; 5. Job Evaluation; 6. Some Considerations about Organizational

Models; 7. References.

1. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF

JUSTICE

.. T M  J

The Minister of Justice, created in 1861, besides having the legislative initiative and

being politically responsible within the limits of his/her mandate, also has administra-

tive powers. Those substantially decreased after the end of the fascist regime and the

approval of the Republican Constitution. Today, he/she is charged with the organiza-

tion of the structures necessary to the functioning of the justice machinery, including

the predisposition of a sucient number of courts, the assigning of magistrates in

conformity with the approved plants, their work in comparison with the workload and

their behaviour.1 Furthermore, he/she can request information from the presidents of

any court about the functioning of justice and may demand sending him/her all useful

communications.2 He/She receives all reports about possible cases of malfunctioning

of judicial oces from the judicial councils;3 he/she supervises all judicial oces and

magistrates in order to exercise disciplinary action when needed.4 He/She keeps all the

relations with the Superior Council, takes part in its hearings when making communica-

1 ITALY. Presidenza della Repubblica italiana. Decreto legislativo n. 300/1999. Available at: https://www.

parlamento.it/parlam/leggi/deleghe/99300dl.htm, see in particular art. 16-19; ITALY. Corte costituzionale della

Repubblica italiana. Sentenza 168/1963. Available at: https://www.giurcost.org/decisioni/1963/0168s-63.

html.

2 ITALY. Parlamento della Repubblica Italiana. Legge 195/1958. Available at: https://www.normattiva.it/uri-

res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:1958, see in particular art. 14.

3 ITALY. Parlamento della Repubblica Italiana. Decreto Legge 25/2006. Available at: https://www.camera.it/

parlam/leggi/deleghe/testi/06025dl.htm, see in particular art. 15.

4 ITALY. Presidenza della Repubblica italiana. R.d.lgs. 511/1946. Available at: http://presidenza.governo.it/

USRI/magistrature/norme/dlvo511_1946.pdf, see in particular art. 13; ITALY. Parlamento della Repubblica

Italiana. D.p.R. 916/1958. Available at: http://www.edizionieuropee.it/LAW/HTML/38/zn71_01_003.html, see

in particular art. 56.