Then use "authoritharian" for the Renzi government. The scholars and officials of the Italian Judiciary are actually liberals and democratic by any standard, including the ECHR (to the development of which they contributed for a major part).
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Your statement is interesting and puzzling. I have highlighted your statement about the current Italian government. What relationship, if any, does that government have to the Kercher-Knox-Sollecito case at this point?
Why would any average American (such as myself) know enough about that government to characterize it in any way, except to point out that it is the current legitimate parliamentary government of Italy, selected according to democratic principles (as far as I know) and the will of the majority of Italian voters? I can state that I have read that the Renzi government claims to be seeking reforms, but I am fuzzy about the details.
Again, I question the relevance to the topic in this thread of your
political statement about the current Italian government.
With regard to your second statement, indeed Italy was one of the founding signatories of the Council of Europe, the Convention, and the ECHR. Ironically, the original intent was that the ECHR would be a true court of appeal, but the Italian delegate suggested that would have the European States yielding too much sovereignty, and enough other delegates agreed, so that the direct powers of the ECHR are limited. Of course, the delegates reflected, as is proper, the desires of their respective governments.
Certainly the judges Italy has contributed to the ECHR have been honorable and well-respected, AFAIK. One of the current vice-presidents (there are two vps) of the ECHR is the judge from Italy, Guido Raimondi.
However, there are many judges in the complex Italian judicial system, and those of us outside Italy have seen the type of justice and reasoning some of those judges deliver, on the basis of this Kercher-Knox-Sollecito case. And frankly, I do not believe that those specific judges (such as Massei, Chieffi, Nencini) demonstrate the impartiality, judgment, and reasoning expected of judges in a democratic society. Others, including many who post here, came to this view before I was at all aware of this issue.
One may think of this whole case, and the known behavior of the Italian police, prosecutors, and judges as a kind of anti-travelog for Italy.