Giovanni Legnini, a 55-year-old lawyer and former economy ministry undersecretary, was voted vice president of the Italian judiciary's self-governing body, the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM), on Tuesday. The vice president is effectively the chief of the CSM as the president is a figurehead role that goes to the Italian head of State, currently President Giorgio Napolitano. "I accept the challenge of reform," Legnini said after his election with a strong majority of the CSM's new makeup.
The government has presented a plan to revamp Italy's slow justice system.
"There will be real debate (with the government) about the content of the reforms, not just ritual talks," Legnini said. "The judiciary must always be autonomous, independent and impartial. Legnini had been serving as economy ministry undersecretary in Premier Matteo Renzi's government. He was also cabinet undersecretary in ex-premier Enrico Letta's executive from May 2013 to February 2014.
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