Catanzaro Court to receive new judges amid Italian judicial staffing crisis

The Italian judiciary is facing significant staffing challenges, highlighted by a shortage of judicial seats exceeding 13% in the ordinary magistracy. While recent legislation aimed to increase the number of judicial positions, critics argue that current efforts are failing to prevent delays in civil and criminal proceedings.

In Catanzaro, the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura has assigned ten new judges to the local court to address severe personnel shortages and recent staff transfers. Six judges will serve in the criminal sector and four in the civil sector, with their service expected to begin in May 2027. Local legal professionals have described this as a necessary step to ensure judicial continuity, though they maintain that structural interventions are required to match the court's workload and regional complexity.

Further complicating the situation is a recent government measure involving the transfer of ordinary magistrates to the military judiciary, a move described by critics as paradoxical given the high workload in civilian courts compared to the limited scope of military jurisdiction.