Italian judicial geography reform

On 30 July 2026 the National Forensic Association (ANF) submitted a position paper on bill C.2646, which revises Italy’s judicial districts. The paper welcomed moving away from the 2012 linear court‑closure model but warned that regional specificities must be preserved. ANF urged that four sub‑provincial courts in Abruzzo (Avezzano, Lanciano, Sulmona, Vasto) stay open, citing a Bank of Italy study that linked greater distance from a tribunal to a 6 % drop in filings per 5 km. It also opposed restructuring in Sicily and the creation of a new “Tribunal of the Pedemontana” in Bassano del Grappa, arguing these would drain resources from already understaffed courts.

The following day, 31 July 2026, mayors and court‑order presidents from the same Abruzzo towns formed a coordination body demanding that the Chamber of Deputies place the Nord Nordio draft law on the agenda before the 10 August deadline, ahead of the summer recess. They sought a meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and urged approval by 31 December 2026, the expiry of the current extension that keeps the four courts operating. Their request followed a confidence vote on Decree Law No 100/2026 that stripped earlier protective amendments, prompting local officials to accelerate the legislative timetable.