A clash between magistrates and politicians. The magistrates' response to the government: "You accept criticism."

The day after yet another clash between the judiciary and politicians, magistrates have called for dialogue, but also issued a clear message to the government to "accept criticism." ANM president Cesare Parodi rallied around Cassation Attorney General Raffaele Piccirillo , whose critical comments on the handling of the Almasri case were criticized by Minister Nordio . He emphasized that the Palermo prosecutor's appeal to the Supreme Court against Salvini's acquittal, after which Minister Nordio announced "remedies" to the appealability of acquittals, "is provided for by the Constitution." Piccirillo, the president of the judiciary union emphasized, "did not make a value judgment but rather presented a long series of detailed arguments, which are the basis of the discussion and dialogue." And regarding the Palermo prosecutors, he recalled that "they asked the Supreme Court to evaluate the court's interpretation of the rules" that led to the acquittal of the former Interior Minister. In other words, the association calls on the government to "accept criticism," reiterating the legitimacy of both Piccirillo's words and the Palermo prosecutors' initiative.

Francesco Paolo Sisto, Deputy Minister of Justice (RaiNews)

In Piccirillo's favor, a majority of the members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary have filed a request for the urgent opening of a protective case. "Respect" and "dialogue" are also the words used by the national anti-mafia prosecutor, Giovanni Melillo, on one of the symbolic days of the fight against the Mafia, the anniversary of the Via d'Amelio massacre. For the DNA chief, "the search for a new balance in the independence of the judiciary is legitimate," but "it cannot be achieved unless suspicion and mistrust are replaced with attention and respect, and invective and opposition with dialogue and a shared sense of responsibility." For Melillo, the risk otherwise is "that the institutional fabric essential to the credibility of both the judiciary and politics will be eroded."

National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo (lapresse)

Justice reform is being debated against the backdrop of a continuing conflict. The head of Via Arenula has announced measures regarding the appealability of full acquittals resulting from first-instance trials. According to leaks, any initiatives will only be taken after July 22nd, following the Senate vote on career separation. In fact, no legislation on this issue is currently under consideration by the legislative office. And it is precisely the progress of the reform, according to government officials, that is the underlying issue of the conflict. "There is undoubtedly nervousness among certain judiciaries, there's no point in denying it," says Deputy Minister of Justice Francesco Paolo Sisto . "The Senate will vote on the 22nd, followed by the other two readings, which, being unamended, will certainly be easier. This, in my opinion, explains some overly agonistic opinions, full of needlessly polemical and 'challenging' tones." For criminal lawyers, the climate could "cause harm to citizens, governed by a justice system increasingly worn down by improper conflicts between state powers."