Italian Court of Cassation protects client secrecy in lawyer investigations

The United Sections of the Italian Court of Cassation have ruled that legal protections for law offices during inspections, searches, and seizures must be maintained even when the lawyer is the subject of an investigation.

The court clarified that these safeguards are not intended to grant immunity to lawyers, but rather to protect the professional secrecy and privacy of their clients. The ruling emphasizes that a lawyer's office contains sensitive files belonging to numerous individuals who are not involved in the investigation. The decision links these protections to Article 24 of the Italian Constitution and the principle of professional secrecy, rather than the status of the legal profession itself.