The government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to implement psychological fitness tests for judges and prosecutors in the future. The Italian judges’ union ANM is indignant about this and now wants to protest against this plan.
Anyone seeking to serve as a judge or prosecutor in Italy will in future have to undergo a psychological fitness test, according to a recent decision by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee therefore adopted a motion supported by the government parties. This calls on the government to consider introducing psychological aptitude tests for candidates for positions in the Italian judiciary. The Senate must now vote on the plan in a plenary session.
The Association of Judges (ANM) is less enthusiastic about this idea and emphasizes that the previous tests are already a highly selective procedure for choosing a candidate for a position as a prosecutor or judge.
Judges’ unions identify ‘attempt to discredit’
“Once again, political parties are trying to discredit the judiciary by creating the suspicion among citizens that the selection and evaluation mechanisms for judges and prosecutors do not provide sufficient guarantees of ‘psychological balance’. In fact, the government is urged to introduce psycho-academic tests for admission to the judiciary, without clarifying what these tests should consist of and on what reliable scientific basis they should be based. The demagogic nature of this measure is all too clear,” said a statement from the judges’ unions.
Behavior in stressful situations is crucial
Erika Stefani, head of the Lega delegation to the committee, defended the Justice Committee’s decision. “Many public competitions involve psychological aptitude tests, so we don’t see a problem with that. It is true that an applicant’s ability to handle certain stressful situations in such sensitive, responsible tasks must be tested,” said Stefani.
Lawyer and Lega senator Giulia Bongiorno also shares this opinion. “Of course, we must be careful how these tests are carried out, always respecting the person,” Bongiorno explains.
The opposition party Five Star Movement is critical of this. She complained that the Meloni government’s reforms aim to subject the judiciary to the control and secret direction of the ruling coalition.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
