Corrado Carnevale
Encyclopedia
Corrado Carnevale is an Italian
judge, currently member of the Italian
Supreme Court of Cassation
. He became famous because of the large number of Mafia cases overturned in the Appeal Court where he was president, because of his involvement in some of the worst corruption scandals in the history of the Italian Judiciary and his alleged collusion with the Mafia
.
Born at Licata
, Sicily
, he graduated with honours from the University of Palermo
at the age of 21 and came first in the competitive exam for a post of uditore Giudiziario, which he took up on 17 December 1953. His lightning career was crowned at the age of 55, when he became the youngest-ever President of the Italian High Court, the Corte di Cassazione.
He earned the nickname Sentence-Slayer (Italian
ammazzasentenze) because of the high number of convictions of Mafiosi overturned on appeal
in his court for the slightest technicality, such as the lack of a rubber stamp on a document. The Maxi Trial
of the mid-1980s, spearheaded by Giovanni Falcone
, had led to the convictions of over 200 Mafiosi, of which only a few dozen were still behind bars by 1990, due to Carnevale's role in the appeal trials, quashing the sentences of men who had been brought to trial for conspiracy with the Mafia after long and extenuating trials.
He was close to Salvatore Lima
, a Christian Democrat
politician
who was believed to have been working on behalf of the Mafia, receiving bribes, votes and political favours in return for appointing Mafia-friendly judges, like Carnevale. Lima was murdered in 1992 after "outliving his usefulness", according to Tommaso Buscetta
. Carnevale was also allegedly close to Giulio Andreotti
, seven times Italian prime minister and one of the most powerful politicians of Italy since World War 2. Andreotti was also tried for his alleged links with the Mafia, and eventually acquitted only on grounds of expiry of statutory terms: the court established that Andreotti had indeed had strong ties to the Mafia until 1980.
The section of the High Court under Carnevale's presidency also cleared the names of the perpetrators of crimes of terrorism in the 1970s.
It was Carnevale's involvement in the Andreotti case which eventually led to Carnevale's suspension from office (30 October 1993). He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for criminal conspiracy with the Mafia in 2001, a judgement which was reversed by the High Court, the Cassazione, on the 30th October 2002.
On the 22nd January 2007, the IV Commission of the CSM, (Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura) passed a majority vote (three in favour, one against, two abstentions) in favour of Carnevale's return to work as a judge, in the same role he occupied before his "retirement". Two years previously, the same body had voted against allowing Carnevale to don his judge's robes again, a ruling which was annulled by the Consiglio di Stato on the basis of a law guaranteeing the right of civil servants who have been fired because of a criminal conviction to be reinstated when the conviction is finally quashed.
It is the plenary meeting of the CSM which will take the final decision.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
judge, currently member of the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Supreme Court of Cassation
Court of Cassation (Italy)
The Supreme Court of Cassation is the major court of last resort in Italy. It has its seat in the Rome Hall of Justice.The Court of Cassation exists also to “ensure the observation and the correct interpretation of law” by ensuring the same application of law in the inferior and appeal courts...
. He became famous because of the large number of Mafia cases overturned in the Appeal Court where he was president, because of his involvement in some of the worst corruption scandals in the history of the Italian Judiciary and his alleged collusion with the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
.
Born at Licata
Licata
Licata is a city and comune located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River , about midway between Agrigento and Gela...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, he graduated with honours from the University of Palermo
University of Palermo
The University of Palermo is a university located in Palermo, Italy, and founded in 1806. It is organized in 12 Faculties.-History:The University of Palermo was officially founded in 1806, although its earliest roots date back to 1498 when medicine and law were taught there...
at the age of 21 and came first in the competitive exam for a post of uditore Giudiziario, which he took up on 17 December 1953. His lightning career was crowned at the age of 55, when he became the youngest-ever President of the Italian High Court, the Corte di Cassazione.
He earned the nickname Sentence-Slayer (Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
ammazzasentenze) because of the high number of convictions of Mafiosi overturned on appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
in his court for the slightest technicality, such as the lack of a rubber stamp on a document. The Maxi Trial
Maxi Trial
The Maxi Trial was a criminal trial that took place in Sicily during the mid-1980s that saw hundreds of defendants on trial convicted for a multitude of crimes relating to Mafia activities, based primarily on testimony given in as evidence from a former boss turned informant...
of the mid-1980s, spearheaded by Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone was an Sicilian/Italian prosecuting magistrate born in Palermo, Sicily. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Mafia in Sicily...
, had led to the convictions of over 200 Mafiosi, of which only a few dozen were still behind bars by 1990, due to Carnevale's role in the appeal trials, quashing the sentences of men who had been brought to trial for conspiracy with the Mafia after long and extenuating trials.
He was close to Salvatore Lima
Salvatore Lima
Salvatore Lima was an Italian politician from Sicily who was murdered by the Mafia. He is often just referred to as Salvo Lima....
, a Christian Democrat
Christian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who was believed to have been working on behalf of the Mafia, receiving bribes, votes and political favours in return for appointing Mafia-friendly judges, like Carnevale. Lima was murdered in 1992 after "outliving his usefulness", according to Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta was a Sicilian mafioso. Although he was not the first pentito in the Italian witness protection program, he is widely recognized as the first important one breaking omertà...
. Carnevale was also allegedly close to Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti is an Italian politician of the now dissolved centrist Christian Democracy party. He served as the 42nd Prime Minister of Italy from 1972 to 1973, from 1976 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1992. He also served as Minister of the Interior , Defense Minister and Foreign Minister and he...
, seven times Italian prime minister and one of the most powerful politicians of Italy since World War 2. Andreotti was also tried for his alleged links with the Mafia, and eventually acquitted only on grounds of expiry of statutory terms: the court established that Andreotti had indeed had strong ties to the Mafia until 1980.
The section of the High Court under Carnevale's presidency also cleared the names of the perpetrators of crimes of terrorism in the 1970s.
It was Carnevale's involvement in the Andreotti case which eventually led to Carnevale's suspension from office (30 October 1993). He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for criminal conspiracy with the Mafia in 2001, a judgement which was reversed by the High Court, the Cassazione, on the 30th October 2002.
On the 22nd January 2007, the IV Commission of the CSM, (Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura) passed a majority vote (three in favour, one against, two abstentions) in favour of Carnevale's return to work as a judge, in the same role he occupied before his "retirement". Two years previously, the same body had voted against allowing Carnevale to don his judge's robes again, a ruling which was annulled by the Consiglio di Stato on the basis of a law guaranteeing the right of civil servants who have been fired because of a criminal conviction to be reinstated when the conviction is finally quashed.
It is the plenary meeting of the CSM which will take the final decision.
External links and references
- Guardian report on corruption in Italy's judiciary
- Excellent Cadavers (1995) Alexander StilleAlexander StilleAlexander Stille is an American author and journalist. He is the son of Ugo Stille, a well-known Italian journalist and a former editor of Italy's Milan-based Corriere della Sera newspaper. Alexander Stille graduated from Yale and later the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism...
, Vintage, ISBN 978-0-09-959491-8. - The Antimafia: Italy’s fight against organized crime (1999), Alison Jamieson, Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 978-0-333-80158-1.