Ethics Newsline®

GENEVA
Senior politicians in Italy are interfering with thecountry’s judicial process, sidetracking cases, delaying trials, and destroyingthe public’s trust, a special investigator for the United Nations warned lastweek.

ParamCumaraswamy, the UN’s expert on the independence of lawyers and judges, said hehad found ample evidence that government officials were using their posts tobias or delay judicial proceedings.

"These are high-profile people and they have got alot of influence in parliament," Cumaraswamy told the Associated Press,claiming that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had benefitedparticularly from such obstruction.

Berlusconi,a high-flying media magnate tangled up in criminal cases for years, has yet tocome to trial on several charges. Critics say the government is stalling hislatest trial by strong-arming the process and forcing delays.

Lastweek, UN investigator Cumaraswamy said judges and prosecutors had"reasonable cause" to fear that such tampering was taking place andthat their independence was being undermined by politicians, the AssociatedPress reported.

Cumaraswamyurged a thorough overhaul of the country’s legal system, with strongerfirewalls between politicians and the judiciary. Cumaraswamy also faultedjudges with lifelong tenure for taking breaks to run for political office,saying such activities undermined public confidence in their objectivity.

Italy’sJustice Ministry, Berlusconi’s office, and the Superior Council of Magistrates,which represents the nation’s judges, all declined to comment on the UN report,according to the AP.