Politics · Italy · 7 hrs ago
Italian criminal lawyers plan strike over proposed victim-protection clause
Italy’s criminal lawyers will stop attending hearings from November 23 to 27 to oppose a proposed change to the Constitution.
The proposal would add a statement that the Republic protects crime victims to Article 24, which sets out the right to a defence.
The lawyers say placing the clause beside that right could weaken safeguards for accused people, including the presumption of innocence.
They argue that victims’ pain must not be used to reduce protections while a court establishes what happened and who is responsible.
The proposal has received near-unanimous approval in two Senate votes and one House vote, and has returned to the House for a final approval.
The lawyers are urging lawmakers to reject it and have requested a meeting with party leaders to explain their objections.
Italy’s criminal lawyers have called a five-day strike over a proposed constitutional clause protecting crime victims.
The Union of Criminal Chambers plans to abstain from court hearings from November 23 to 27.
The lawyers say placing victim protection beside the right to a defence could be used to restrict the rights of accused people.
The proposal has passed the Senate twice and the Chamber of Deputies once, and has returned to the Chamber for a final approval.
The lawyers are urging deputies not to approve the measure and have requested a meeting with parliamentary group leaders.
- Who
- The Union of Criminal Chambers, an association of criminal lawyers, has called the strike.
- What
- Lawyers plan to abstain from court hearings for five days to oppose a proposed constitutional clause on protecting crime victims.
- When
- November 23 to 27, 2026.
- Where
- Italy.
- Why
- The lawyers say the clause could weaken the rights of accused people and blur the boundary set by the presumption of innocence.
Criminal lawyers opposing the clause
Proponents of the victim-protection clause
Constitutional wording
Criminal lawyers opposing the clause
The clause could make victim protection a basis for restricting the rights of accused people.
Proponents of the victim-protection clause
The proposal would add protection for crime victims to the Constitution.
Effect on defendants
Criminal lawyers opposing the clause
The lawyers say it could weaken the presumption of innocence and affect judgments before facts and individual responsibility are established.
Proponents of the victim-protection clause
Not stated in the source.
Existing protections
Criminal lawyers opposing the clause
The lawyers argue that the Constitution already recognises and guarantees the rights of people who have suffered a crime.
Proponents of the victim-protection clause
Not stated in the source.
The proposal was approved by the Senate twice and by the Chamber of Deputies once.
The Union of Criminal Chambers announced its planned strike and urged deputies not to give the proposal final approval.
Criminal lawyers plan to abstain from court hearings.
- Planned strike
- November 23–27, 2026
- Organiser
- Union of Criminal Chambers
- Proposal location
- Article 24 of the Constitution
- Senate approvals
- Two
- Chamber of Deputies approvals
- One, with final approval still pending
What people are saying
The inclusion of victim protection right beside the inviolability of the defence could turn it into a standard invoked to restrict the rights of the accused
The pain of someone who has suffered a crime can never become a justification for reducing safeguards in the process of establishing the truth of the case