Aside from the term 'gentlemen' in consultation: this changes the wording of the sentences

Rome – Among the judges of the consultation there are not only “gentlemen”: for nearly thirty years it has been composed of men and women. For this reason, the face of the documents in the rulings of the Constitutional Court changes with an amendment that has an important symbolic value. The wording of the title of the rulings of the Constitutional Court has changed: in the phrase “composed of gentlemen”, used to announce the formation of the Constitutional Court, the term “gentlemen” has been deleted.

New wording

Therefore, all that remains is the phrase “consisting of” followed by the names of the president and the rest of the judges. The change – made in order to correctly, albeit formally, present the gender composition of the Court – occurred a few days ago, following the unanimous decision taken by the body headed by Augusto Barbera. Until last month, the provisions still carried the old wording within them, and then the choice was made at the council session held on December 21 last year. The next day the first new version of the provisions appeared: 223 was introduced on 22 December 2023. Another consequence of this change is also the reference to the term “rapporteur” in sentences, which will be replaced by “rapporteur”, if it is a woman.

gender equality

The Council has always been sensitive to the issue of gender equality. Since the issuance of the historic ruling, in 1962, in which the court opened access to the judiciary and other public functions to women. One of the most recent such rulings is the 2022 ruling, which concerns the decision regarding the double title. Of the fourteen current judges on the Advisory Council, three are women: Emanuela Navarretta, Maria Rosaria San Giorgio H Antonella Ciarone Alibrandi. She was the first to participate in it Fernanda countryin 1996.

Eight women out of 121 judges

Overall, out of the 121 judges of the Court throughout history, there have been eight women: six (Confrey, Saul, Cartabia, De Pretis, Navarretta and Ciarone Alibrandi) appointed by the President of the Republic, and one jointly elected by Parliament. One session (Ceara) and one elected by the Court of Cassation (San Giorgio). She was the first to serve as president from 2019 to 2020 Marta Cartabiafollowed in 2022 by Silvana Ciara Who, in office until 2023, was the first woman elected by Parliament as a judge of the Italian Constitutional Court in 2014. Pending the election of the fifteenth judge in Parliament to complete the Court, it certainly cannot be ruled out that she could be the woman with the most votes, making It increases the female component, which still represents a clear minority within the Council.