Justice — Italy · Synthesis

Processing times among Europe's longest. Italian justice, particularly civil, is characterised by very high processing times (CEPEJ), among Europe's worst. This long-documented slowness is a recognised drag on investment, economic activity and access to justice (see Economy category).

Overcrowded prisons. The incarceration rate is moderate (≈ 100 per 100,000 inhabitants, World Prison Brief), but prisons are overcrowded (density of the order of 115–130%), with degraded detention conditions that have led to European condemnations of Italy.

Few magistrates. Like France, Italy has relatively few professional magistrates per capita (of the order of 11 per 100,000, CEPEJ), below the European median — a factor in the slowness, alongside procedural complexity.

A reform driven by the PNRR. Reducing court delays is an explicit condition of the European recovery plan: Italy has committed to sharply reducing the duration of civil and criminal proceedings, with quantified targets and procedural reforms — a rare case of a justice reform backed by European funds.

Justice and organised crime. Italian justice has recognised expertise in anti-mafia action (specialist magistrates, legislation on confiscated assets), a domain in which it serves as a reference (see Security category).

Meeting the PNRR targets. The central challenge is to achieve the delay-reduction targets set out in the recovery plan (digitisation, procedural reform, recruitment). Meeting these targets conditions the payment of European funds.

Reducing prison overcrowding. Reducing prison density, via alternatives to detention and improved conditions, is an issue of dignity and compliance with European requirements.

Digitisation and resources. Digitising the justice system and strengthening staffing are levers for durably reducing delays, beyond procedural reforms.

Anti-mafia action and PNRR funds. Protecting recovery-plan funds from criminal infiltration is a cross-cutting challenge, mobilising anti-mafia expertise (see Security category).

The open questions. Three issues will shape the period: (1) reducing delays as required by the PNRR; (2) resolving prison overcrowding; (3) modernising justice (digital, staffing).

Placed in its environment, Italy is characterised by slow justice and overcrowded prisons, two ills it shares partly with France but to a more pronounced degree on delays.

Three takeaways. (1) Delays: among the longest. The duration of Italian civil proceedings is one of the highest in Europe (CEPEJ), well above Germany and France.

(2) Moderate incarceration but saturated prisons. The incarceration rate (≈ 100 per 100,000) is close to France (≈ 106), below the United Kingdom (≈ 135), but prison overcrowding is high, as in France.

(3) Few judges. Like France (≈ 11 per 100,000), Italy has few magistrates per capita, below the Council of Europe median and far from Germany (≈ 24).