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Italy's Justice Referendum Pits Gratteri's No Against Cross-Party Yes Campaign

Voters will decide a constitutional rewrite separating judicial careers and reshaping magistrates’ governance in a no‑quorum vote where turnout is pivotal.

Overview

  • Naples chief prosecutor Nicola Gratteri says the overhaul would let the government “dictate the agenda” to prosecutors and would not improve services for citizens or speed up trials.
  • Pro‑Yes advocates, including journalist Pierluigi Battista and politician Marco Rizzo, argue the change secures a truly impartial judge and curbs corporatist influence within the magistracy.
  • The reform places prosecutors and judges in distinct career tracks, establishes two separate High Councils, introduces sortition for council members, and creates an autonomous disciplinary court.
  • Opponents led by the ANM and left‑leaning figures warn of risks to prosecutorial independence, while supporters urge voters not to turn the contest into a plebiscite on the government.
  • Parliament approved the constitutional amendment on October 30 without a two‑thirds majority, sending it to a referendum that proceeds without a turnout threshold.