View source for Constitutional Court of Italy

{{Short description|Highest court of Italy}}
{{Infobox high court
| court_name = {{nowrap|Constitutional Court}}
| image2 = Palazzo della Consulta Roma 2006.jpg
| established = 1948 (in the Constitution) <br/> 1955 (effective)
| jurisdiction = [[Italy]]
| location = [[Rome]], Italy
| image = Constitutional Court of Italy logo.svg
| imagesize = 50px
| type = Elected/appointed in equal portions by [[Italian Parliament]], [[President of the Italian Republic]], and highest Italian courts
| authority = [[Constitution of Italy]]
| terms = 9 years (not renewable)
| positions = 15
| website = [http://www.cortecostituzionale.it/default.do Official website]
| chiefjudgetitle = President of the Court
| chiefjudgename = [[Giovanni Amoroso]]
| termstart = 21 January 2025
}}

{{Politics of Italy}}

The '''Constitutional Court of the Italian Republic''' ({{langx|it|Corte costituzionale della Repubblica Italiana}}) is the highest court of [[Italy]] in matters of [[constitutional law]]. Sometimes, the name ''Consulta'' is used as a metonym for it, because its sessions are held in [[Palazzo della Consulta]] in [[Rome]].

==History==

The court is a post-[[World War II]] innovation, established by the republican [[Constitution of Italy]] in 1948, but it became operative only in 1955 after the enactment of the Constitutional Law n. 1 of 1953 and the Law n. 87 of 1953.<ref>Italian Government, "[http://www.governo.it/Presidenza/CONTENZIOSO/contenzioso_costituzionale/documentazione/L_19530311_87.pdf Norme sulla costituzione e sul funzionamento della corte costituzionale]", published 14 March 1953, accessed 5 October 2023</ref> It held its first hearing in 1956.

== Powers ==

According to Article 134<ref name=ItaConst>{{cite web|title=La Costituzione della Repubblica italiana |url=http://www.quirinale.it/page/costituzione|publisher=Presidency of the Italian Republic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116105208/https://www.quirinale.it/page/costituzione |archive-date= Jan 16, 2024 }}</ref>  of the [[Italian Constitution]], the Court shall pass judgement on:
* controversies on the [[Constitutionality|constitutional legitimacy]] of laws issued by the [[Italy|State]] and [[Regions of Italy|Regions]] and when the Court declares a law unconstitutional, the law ceases to have effect the day after the publication of the ruling;
* conflicts arising from allocation of powers of the [[Italy|State]] and those powers allocated to [[Italy|State]] and [[Regions of Italy|Regions]], and between [[Regions of Italy|Regions]];
* charges brought against the [[President of Italy|President]].

Additionally, a handful of constitutional laws were promulgated to regulate the powers and functionality of the Court during the years. The most important being constitutional law n. 1/1953, which, among other things, extends the power of reviewing and approving referendum's requests to the Court. (Art. 2)

The Constitutional Court passes on the [[constitutionality]] of laws with no right of appeal, as the Court is the highest court in relation to [[constitutional matters]] in Italy.

Since 12 October 2007, when the reform of the [[Italian intelligence agencies]] approved in August 2007 came into force, the pretext of [[Classified information|state secret]] cannot be used to deny access to documents by the Court.

==Composition==

The Constitutional Court is composed of 15 judges for the term of service of nine years: 5 appointed by the [[President of the Italian Republic|President of Italy]], 5 elected by the [[Parliament of Italy]]<ref>Parliament appoints judges with increasing delay: [http://www.lastampa.it/2015/10/03/italia/politica/consulta-sfregio-infinito-ventisei-votazioni-fallite-aAwyPjNM4DyULVbUIjMd1N/pagina.html Giuseppe Salvaggiulo, "{{lang|it|Consulta, sfregio infinito. Ventisei votazioni fallite}}"], in ''La Stampa'', 3 October 2015 {{in lang|it}} and [https://www.academia.edu/15206637/Per_lelezione_di_tre_giudici_costituzionali Giampiero Buonomo, "{{lang|it|Negoziazione politica e Parlamento...Non solo risate}}"], in Avanti online, 26 August 2015 {{in lang|it}}.</ref> and 5 elected by the ordinary and administrative supreme courts. Of those elected by the supreme courts, 3 are elected by the [[Supreme Court of Cassation of Italy]] (penal and civil justice), one is elected by the [[Court of Auditors of Italy]], and one by the [[Council of State of Italy]] (supreme administrative court). Candidates need to be either lawyers with twenty years or more experience, full professors of law, or (even former) judges of the Supreme Administrative, Civil and Criminal tribunals.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Justin O. |last1=Frosini |first2=Sara |last2=Pennicino |url=http://www.thecourt.ca/2007/02/02/report-from-italy/ |title=Report from Italy |publisher=The Court |date=2 February 2007 |access-date=29 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130003344/http://www.thecourt.ca/2007/02/02/report-from-italy/ |archive-date=30 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The members then elect the President of the Court. The President is elected from among its members in a secret ballot, by an absolute majority (8 votes in the case of a full court). If no person gets a majority, a runoff election between the two judges with the most votes occurs. The President of the Court appoints one or more vice-presidents to stand in for him in the event of his absence for any reason.

==Current membership==

;Appointed by:
{{legend2|#FFCCCC|[[President of Italy]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend2|lightgreen|Courts of Italy|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend2|#C1ECFA|[[Italian Parliament|Parliament of Italy]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Portrait!!Name!!Profession!!Appointed by!!Appointed on!!Date sworn in!!End of term!!Type of membership
|-
|[[File:Giovanni Amoroso crop.jpg|65px]] || '''[[Giovanni Amoroso]]'''<br><small>(1949– )</small> || Magistrate || style="background:lightgreen;"|Courts<br>{{small|([[Court of Cassation (Italy)|Court of Cassation]])}} || 26 October 2017 || 13 November 2017 || 13 November 2026  || President<br>{{small|(since 21 January 2025)}}
|-
|[[File:Francesco Viganò crop.jpg|65px]] || '''[[Francesco Viganò]]'''<br><small>(1966– )</small> || University professor, lawyer || style="background:#fcc;"|[[President of Italy|President]]<br>{{small|([[Sergio Mattarella]])}} || 24 February 2018 || 8 March 2018 || 8 March 2027 || Vice president<br>{{small|(since 21 January 2025)}}
|-
|[[File:Luca Antonini (cropped).jpg|65px]] || '''[[Luca Antonini (jurist)|Luca Antonini]]'''<br><small>(1963– )</small> || University professor, lawyer || style="background:#c1ecfa;"|[[Italian Parliament|Parliament]]<br>{{small|([[Legislature XVIII of Italy|18th Legislature]])}} || 19 July 2018 || 26 July 2018 || 26 July 2027  || Vice president<br>{{small|(since 21 January 2025)}}
|-
|[[File:Stefano Pettiti 2019.jpg|65px]] || '''[[Stefano Petitti]]'''<br><small>(1953–)</small> || Magistrate || style="background:lightgreen;"|Courts<br>{{small|([[Court of Cassation (Italy)|Court of Cassation]])}} || 28 November 2019 || 10 December 2019 || 10 December 2028 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Buscema01_(cropped).jpg|65px]] || '''[[Angelo Buscema]]'''<br><small>(1952– )</small> || Magistrate || style="background:lightgreen;"|Courts<br>{{small|([[Court of Audit]])}} ||12 July 2020 || 15 September 2020 || 15 September 2029|| Judge
|-
|[[File:Emanuela_Navarretta_2025_(cropped).jpg|65px]] || '''[[Emanuela Navarretta]]'''<br><small>(1966– )</small> || University professor || style="background:#fcc;"|[[President of Italy|President]]<br>{{small|([[Sergio Mattarella]])}} || 9 September 2020 || 15 September 2020 || 15 September 2029|| Judge
|-
|[[File:Maria Rosaria San Giorgio (cropped).jpg|65px]] || '''[[Maria Rosaria San Giorgio]]'''<br><small>(1952– )</small> || Magistrate || style="background:lightgreen;"|Courts<br>{{small|([[Court of Cassation (Italy)|Court of Cassation]])}} || 16 December 2020 || 17 December 2020 || 17 December 2029 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Filippo_Patroni_Griffi.jpg|65px]] || '''[[Filippo Patroni Griffi]]'''<br><small>(1955– )</small> || Magistrate || style="background:lightgreen;"|Courts<br>{{small|([[Italian Council of State|Council of State]])}} || 15 December 2021 || 29 January 2022 || 29 January 2031 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Marco_D'Alberti_(cropped).jpg|65px]] || '''[[Marco D'Alberti]]'''<br><small>(1948– )</small> || University professor || style="background:#fcc;"|[[President of Italy|President]]<br>{{small|([[Sergio Mattarella]])}} || 15 September 2022 || 20 September 2022 || 20 September 2031 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Giovanni Pitruzzella (cropped).jpg|65px]] || '''[[Giovanni Pitruzzella]]'''<br><small>(1959– )</small> || University professor, lawyer || style="background:#fcc;"|[[President of Italy|President]]<br>{{small|([[Sergio Mattarella]])}} || 10 November 2023 || 14 November 2023 || 14 November 2032 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Sciarrone Alibrandi 2024 (cropped).jpg|65px]] || '''[[Antonella Sciarrone Alibrandi]]'''<br><small>(1965– )</small> || University professor || style="background:#fcc;"|[[President of Italy|President]]<br>{{small|([[Sergio Mattarella]])}} || 10 November 2023 || 14 November 2023 || 14 November 2032 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Roberto_Cassinelli_datisenato_2017.jpg|65px]] || '''[[Roberto Cassinelli]]'''<br><small>(1956– )</small> || Lawyer || style="background:#c1ecfa;"|[[Italian Parliament|Parliament]]<br>{{small|([[Legislature XIX of Italy|19th Legislature]])}} || 13 February 2025 || 19 February 2025 || 19 February 2034 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Massimo_Luciani_2025.jpg|65px]] || '''[[Massimo Luciani]]'''<br><small>(1952– )</small> || University professor, lawyer || style="background:#c1ecfa;"|[[Italian Parliament|Parliament]]<br>{{small|([[Legislature XIX of Italy|19th Legislature]])}} || 13 February 2025 || 19 February 2025 || 19 February 2034 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Francesco Saverio Marini 2025.jpg|65px]] || '''[[Francesco Saverio Marini]]'''<br><small>(1973– )</small> || University professor, lawyer || style="background:#c1ecfa;"|[[Italian Parliament|Parliament]]<br>{{small|([[Legislature XIX of Italy|19th Legislature]])}} || 13 February 2025 || 19 February 2025 || 19 February 2034 || Judge
|-
|[[File:Maria_Alessandra_Sandulli_2025.jpg|65px]] || '''[[Maria Alessandra Sandulli]]'''<br><small>(1956– )</small> || University professor, lawyer || style="background:#c1ecfa;"|[[Italian Parliament|Parliament]]<br>{{small|([[Legislature XIX of Italy|19th Legislature]])}} || 13 February 2025 || 19 February 2025 || 19 February 2034 || Judge
|-
|}

===Timeline===
{{#tag:timeline|
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  from: 08/03/2018 till: end color:pre text:"[[Francesco Viganò|Viganò]]" fontsize:10
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  from: 26/07/2018 till: end color:par text:"[[Luca Antonini|Antonini]]" fontsize:10
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  from: 10/12/2019 till: end color:crt text:"[[Stefano Petitti|Petitti]]" fontsize:10
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 bar:PatroniGriffi
  from: 29/01/2022 till: end color:crt text:"[[Filippo Patroni Griffi|Patroni Griffi]]" fontsize:10
 bar:DAlberti
  from: 20/09/2022 till: end color:pre text:"[[Marco D'Alberti|D'Alberti]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Pitruzzella
  from: 14/11/2023 till: end color:pre text:"[[Giovanni Pitruzzella|Pitruzzella]]" fontsize:10
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  from: 14/11/2023 till: end color:pre text:"[[Antonella Sciarrone Alibrandi|Sciarrone]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Cassinelli
  from: 19/02/2025 till: end color:par text:"[[Roberto Cassinelli|Cassinelli]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Luciani
  from: 19/02/2025 till: end color:par text:"[[Massimo Luciani|Luciani]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Marini
  from: 19/02/2025 till: end color:par text:"[[Francesco Saverio Marini|Marini]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Sandulli
  from: 19/02/2025 till: end color:par text:"[[Maria Alessandra Sandulli|Sandulli]]" fontsize:10
}}

==See also==

*[[List of presidents of the Constitutional Court of Italy]]

*[[List of judges of the Constitutional Court of Italy]]

== References ==

<references/>

==External links==

* [http://www.cortecostituzionale.it Official website]

{{coord|41.8991|N|12.4875|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{Europe topic|Constitutional Court of|title=Constitutional Courts of Europe|countries_only=yes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Judiciary of Italy]]
[[Category:National supreme courts|Italy]]
[[Category:Constitutional courts|Italy]]
[[Category:Italian constitutional institutions]]
[[Category:1955 establishments in Italy]]
[[Category:Courts and tribunals established in 1955]]