The president of the judiciary's
union, the National Association of Magistrates (ANM), Giuseppe
Santalucia, expressed concern on Sunday that a controversy
between members of the government and the judiciary sparked by
court rulings not validating the detention of asylum seekers at
new Italian-run processing centres could be reignited by future
sentences on similar cases.
Speaking on the sidelines of the congress of the left-wing
Magistratura Democratica (MD) faction in the judiciary's union,
Santalucia said he feared the resurgence of a "controversy that
doesn't benefit anyone" and expressed trust that the rulings
issued so far "can be read, understood".
"It is possible to dissent or not, the word will now go to the
Court of Cassation and to the (European Court) of Justice but
there is no intention of politicization or of igniting a clash
with political forces" said Santalucia, replying to a question
concerning possible future scenarios after a Rome court nixed
the detention of the first group of migrants taken to new
processing centres for asylum seekers Italy has opened in
Albania.
The decision was taken based on a previous ruling of the
European Court of Justice and it was appealed by the interior
ministry to the Cassation Court.
Italian Navy vessel Libra on Friday took a second group of eight
migrants to the new processing facility in Albania and the
immigration section of Rome's tribunal will now have to decide
whether to validate their detention.
Santalucia on Sunday also said the climate between the judiciary
and politicians had worsened since the governments of late
three-time premier and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi.
The ANM president noted that, previously, only prosecutors were
slammed as 'red judicial robes', or allegedly partisan
left-leaning magistrates, while "today the red judicial robes
are everywhere, even in civil courts dealing with immigration".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
