77

Following the scandal resulting from the Palamara affair, which revealed a secret scheme for fixing the appointment of chief clerks and facilitating career progression, the Italian judiciary’s system of self-governance – which has always been ill-accepted by politicians – has been accused of being corrupt. In the dock in particular were the “movements” within the ANM which, after the golden age of political-ideological divisions, are said to have become purely centres of power focused on career management. Two recent books help us to understand the current crisis in the Italian judiciary, by approaching it from a historical perspective which reveals the fundamental role “associationism” has played in the conquest of independence, the implementation of constitutional principles and the renewal of Italian legal culture.