Judges union demands clarification over aptitude tests

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 2 - The head of Italian magistrates union ANM on Saturday demanded clarification from Justice Minister Carlo Nordio about whether candidates for roles in the Italian judiciary will be subjected to psycho-aptitude tests as part of the selection process.
    The Senate's justice committee on Wednesday approved a motion backed by the parties of the ruling right/centre-right coalition calling on the government to consider the introduction of such tests.
    "We'd like to know what the minister and the government have in mind," said ANM Secretary Giuseppe Santalucia.
    "The only effect of what we have today is to ridicule the judiciary," he added, warning of the "danger of standardization of minds".
    But Erika Stefani, the head of the League's delegation on the Senate's justice committee, defended the idea.
    "Psycho-aptitude tests feature in many public recruitment competitions so we don't see what the problem is," Stefani said.
    "It is right that a candidate's ability to deal with certain stressful situations is assessed with such delicate, responsible roles". (ANSA).