Silvio Berlusconi could lose immunity from prosecution

[Robbien]

Source: Telegraph

A law giving Silvio Berlusconi immunity from prosecution as Italy's prime minister could be repealed after a petition of one million signatures was collected by the opposition.

Mr Berlusconi has been dogged by court cases for most of his political career but on coming to power for a third time last year he forced through the controversial law, which guarantees immunity to Italy's four most senior office holders, including the prime minister and president.

. . .

The petition was presented to Italy's highest court by the country's second biggest opposition party, Italy of Values, led by the former crusading anti-corruption magistrate Antonio Di Pietro.

It contains twice as many signatures as are needed under Italian law to force a referendum on the issue.

"The law is unconstitutional because it introduces a double standard establishing that the four highest state officials can't be tried even if they kill their mothers," Mr Di Pietro said as he arrived at the court in a van carrying boxes of signatures.

Italy's constitutional court must check the validity of the names before the referendum can be called, a process likely to take a few months.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/4162266/Silvio-Berlusconi-could-lose-immunity-from-prosecution.html

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[DebbieCDC]

1. Good

Couldn't happen to a more deserving scumbag.

Now when does Bushco lose their "immunity" in the US?

[dipsydoodle]

2. Ho, Ho, Ho

Fuck him.

[valerief]

3. He'll conveniently "die" like Ken not-dead Lay. nt

[alittlelark]

5. I wonder where their island is...

and who is their plastic surgeon?

[valerief]

6. Sometimes I think it's a very fancy-dancy space station. nt

[Phred42]

4. I smell a Berlusconi Alert coming up on Hartman Thurdsay

:spray:

[LeftishBrit]

7. Good.

First of all, he's disgusting, and secondly no one should be above the law.

[tabasco]

8. Until super rich and powerful criminals are punished for their crimes

there will be no justice for anybody.

[Robbien]

9. A big hurdle

is that the US through the UN gave these guys millions of dollars in "aid" which they used to support their killing fields project. A fact that the US wants to keep quiet, thus its part in thwarting this trial.

[iandrgb]

10. Berlusconi could lose immunity/Importance of electoral veto

Italy is unusual in having the citizens' initiative at national level. Although this can only be used to annul a law or part of a law, and not to introduce a new law, it is a powerful democratic tool.

We need more democracy like this in UK and other countries. See our campaign at http://www.iniref.org/

Also in the USA there are campaigns to introduce I and R (nationwide initiative and referendum), such as http://vote.org/

Michael

I&R ~ GB Citizens' Initiative and Referendum
Campaign for direct democracy in Britain
http://www.iniref.org/

[LeftishBrit]

11. This has its dangers as well as appeal

I would support referendums on major constitutional issues, but there should not be any possibility of their use to crush civil rights. Two warning words: Proposition 8. I could easily imagine the tabloids here whipping people up to vote for racist/anti-immigrant initiatives. This sort of thing is perhaps a particularly great potential danger in the UK, as we do not have a formal constitution.

[iandrgb]

12. Berlusconi could lose immunity/Importance of electoral veto

A great advantage of "issue-based" democracy is that any political field of action can be addressed by electors in between elections. This means that issues which the ruling parties cannot or will not attend to can be debated and decided upon. In UK it would be hard to define what is constitutional and what is ordinary law. Your suggestion for "referendums on major constitutional issues" is what we already have, for instance about staying in the European community (1975) or more recent devolution ballots.

An essential point about the "Lex Berlusconi" veto-proposal in Italy is that the electorate can take a matter of high importance to referendum even if the government of the day does not want such a procedure. In UK only the parliament (really it's the government) can order a referendum, so it is extremely difficult to obtain one (even if the ruling gov. has promised it!).

There have been tens of thousands of citizens' proposition-initiatives and many veto-referenda, in Switzerland, states of the USA and elsewhere. Usually the topics are the everyday business of politics. If "Rights" issues crop up, then the opponents of democracy-reform instrumentalise them. On the other hand there have been cases in which Rights were protected by electorates in referenda, for example recently in Europe the death penalty was abolished by referendum in two areas.

Michael.

I&R ~ GB Citizens' Initiative and Referendum
Campaign for direct democracy in Britain
http://www.iniref.org/