Justice Minister Nordio: “magistrates should not criticize laws, politicians should tone it down”.

During the conference for the 60th anniversary of Democratic Magistracy in Rome, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio called for a constructive dialogue between politics and the judiciary. Nordio stressed that, although the government welcomes technical criticism, He hopes that in the future there will be fewer interventions by the judiciary on the political choices of laws already approved. Similarly, he invited the politics to lower the tone with regards to the sentences, defending the independence of the judiciary and affirming that constitutional reforms are a mandate of the government and parliament.

Nordio emphasized that magistrates are called to apply the laws and recalled that the current reforms aim to guarantee “absolute independence and autonomy” of the judiciary. However, he also called for limiting criticism of laws in terms of their political content once they are passed, considering it necessary to maintain a balance between technical criticism and respect for the legislative action of Parliament.

On the other side, Silvia Albano, president of Magistratura Democratica, responded to the criticisms and accusations directed at judges as “red robes”, calling this label worrying for democracy. Albano argued that judges apply the Constitution and European regulations and that appeals to the Court of Justice are part of the normal work on issues regulated by EU law, such as asylum. She also expressed her refusal to personalize the debate, accusing the government of wanting to create a conflict in which it does not intend to get involved.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has expressed harsh criticism towards the judiciary, declaring that judges who “distort” and “boycott” the laws they should resign and go into politics, accusing them of having a communist orientation. Salvini's response further ignited the debate, with a card published on social media in which he reaffirmed his position.

In response to Salvini's statements, Stefano Musolino, secretary general of Democratic Magistracy, expressed the hope that Nordio's approach would prevail and not Salvini's, inviting him to overcome what he called “institutional narrow-mindedness” and to adopt a more collaborative attitude towards institutions. Musolino praised Nordio as a promoter of constructive institutional dialogue, hoping that his line would become prevalent.