The recent decision by the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) to suspend the duties of honorary judges in Italy is generating considerable apprehension among those awaiting Italian citizenship. However, the Court of Venice... will not be affected directly by this change.
According to a source from Italianism present at a hearing with Judge Silvia Zeminian, held on the morning of this Monday (28/10/24) at the Court of Venice, it was confirmed that the CSM procedure will not affect, in principle, the functioning of this specific court.
Thus, the Court of Venice will continue with its hearings normally, with the performance of honorary judges (GOT) without interruptions — news that brings relief for those who have ongoing proceedings in that jurisdiction.
What was the CSM's decision?
The CSM's decision, released last Friday, October 25th, temporarily suspends the work of honorary judges — professionals who dealt with a large part of citizenship processes (or GOT – Giudice Onorario di Tribunale). The change aims to centralize cases only in the hands of judges (tenured judges), in an effort to ensure “higher quality” in analyses and decisions. However, this reduction in the number of judges working on each case results in a reduced capacity to serve the courts, extending waiting times.
With a reduced number of judges available to handle all cases, the already overburdened Rome court faces additional pressure, and there are concerns that this situation will worsen in the coming months.
Change in the Court of Rome
Since the decision by the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) to suspend the duties of honorary judges, the Court of Rome has already felt the significant impact of the new regulations.
More than 800 hearings were rescheduled Since the measure came into effect, it has directly affected the progress of Italian citizenship applications.
