Justice reform between Carlo Nordio and Giorgia Meloni: old and new tensions between government and judiciary?

The constitutional reform of the judicial system (the so-called Nordio reform) that was decided by a confirmatory referendum held on 22 and 23 March 2026, has generated intense conflict between the government and the judiciary. At the centre of these tensions are the separation of careers between public prosecutors and judges, with the establishment of two separate High Councils of the Judiciary, and the creation of a High Disciplinary Court common to both branches of the judiciary. This conflict is part of the broader and still unresolved tensions between politics and the judiciary, dating back at least to the Mani Pulite (“Clean Hands”) investigations. The article first outlines the substance of the reform and the key issues around which the debate between supporters and critics has developed. It then analyses the origins and evolution of the conflict between the judiciary and politics, showing how the nature of this relationship is crucial to understanding the current constitutional reform process. Finally, the article examines the main institutional and political consequences likely to arise from the victory of the “No” vote in the confirmatory referendum.