Italy Justice Commission holds hearings amid political dispute over smartphone seizure bill

The Italian Chamber of Deputies' Justice Commission is conducting hearings regarding a decree concerning urgent measures for justice, the Ministry of the Interior, and strategic national interests. Scheduled sessions include testimony from representatives of the Union of Italian Criminal Lawyers (UCPI) and the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration (ASGI), as well as prosecutors from Florence and Naples and representatives from the National Association of Magistrates (ANM).

Parallel to these hearings, political tensions have risen between the Forza Italia and Fratelli d'Italia parties over a stalled bill regarding the seizure of smartphones for evidentiary purposes. The proposed legislation, which passed the Senate in April 2024, seeks to tighten procedures for seizing electronic devices by requiring a judge's intervention rather than a prosecutor's decree. The bill is currently blocked in the Justice Commission following concerns from the national anti-mafia prosecutor regarding its potential negative impact on organized crime investigations.