Italy is embarking on a major reform of its judicial system. Can it do away with overlong court proceedings, or is it just a concession to the EU? Francesco Palermo sees an opportunity.

The Italian judicial system has been traditionally characterized by strong safeguards for judicial independence, both for judges and prosecutors, and by structural weaknesses, especially in terms of the length of proceedings.

Recently a new law, adopted in June 2022, concerns the aspects of independence in the judicial system. The reform aims at regulating the organization of the judicial system, such as changing roles between judges and prosecutors, performance evaluation and the composition of the Supreme Judicial Council. The law is part of an ambitious reform package that should make the Italian judiciary more efficient.