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Meloni bets on a lottery to curb Italy's judicial clans
Meloni's reform aims to curb factional control in judiciary by using lottery to select council members, with 2/3 seats for magistrates and 1/3 for parliament-nominated lay members.
- On March 22, 2026, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is reviving a reform to select magistrate members of the Council of Magistracy by lottery, to be decided in a referendum.
- After wiretaps exposed clique-driven appointments, Luca Palamara's downfall and 2019 wiretaps spurred the reform, as Meloni and supporters argue random selection would stop wheeler-dealing among internal judicial factions.
- Under the proposal, the reform would split the Council of Magistracy into two councils and reserve two thirds of seats for judges and prosecutors, with one third for lay members.
- Amid a polarized campaign, recent opinion polls show the 'no' campaign backed by the main opposition centre-left parties has nudged ahead, and opponents seized on Giusi Bartolozzi's TV remarks urging support for the reform.
- Critics warn the plan risks promoting under-qualified people, and David Ermini stated, 'It is one thing to punish individuals who make mistakes; it is another to humiliate the entire judiciary'.
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A referendum on March 22 and 23 will decide on a reform that would allow members of key judicial councils to be chosen randomly, while critics warn that this could weaken the independence of the judiciary.
·Podgorica, Montenegro
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Total News Sources3
Leaning Left0Leaning Right1Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center, 50% Right
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center, 50% of the sources lean Right
50% Right
C 50%
R 50%
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