Pour un autre procès en cour d’assises ? L’éclairage du cas italien

Abstract

In France the Outreau case has revived the discussion about the necessity of a reform of the criminal procedure. In Italy, the new criminal procedure Code adopted in 1989 – in force since 1991 – has introduced a judiciary system with an accusatory dominant. What can we learn from the Italian experience? The lack of interest for the criminal hearings in « cour d’assises » and for the criminal jury in the parliamentary investigation committee’s reflection has led us to present these two topics in the light of the Italian judicial system. This system shows the importance of taking into account the legal culture in any reform project and warns us against the « reforming imperative », while it offers new perspectives for the durability and reliability of the judicial institution.

Keywords

• cour d’assises
• criminal jury
• criminal proceedings
• Italy
• judicial ritual
• legal culture