The president of the judiciary's
union, the National Association of Magistrates (ANM) said that a
nationwide strike against the government's planned reform to
separate the career paths of prosecutors and judges so members
of the judiciary can no longer switch between the two roles was
being staged on Thursday to defend the Constitution and not the
interests of magistrates.
"It isn't a strike against someone but in defence of a series of
principles of the Constitution in which we firmly believe and
which are fundamental for citizens", the president of ANM,
Cesare Parodi, told Radio 24.
"It is everything but a defence of the corporation.
"We are not defending any privilege", stressed Parodi.
ANM had long criticized the Constitutional reform bill, drafted
by Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, saying it will weaken the
judiciary and is aimed at placing State attorneys under the
executive's control.
The Constitutional reform bill - which has received the first of
at least four necessary parliamentary votes for its approval -
also creates a high court to discipline members of the judiciary
and changes the make-up of the judiciary's self-governing body,
the CSM, overhauling the way CSM justices are elected, using a
draw process.
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