"The European Court of Human Rights is not only a cornerstone in the defense of fundamental rights, but also a reference point for national judges", declared the Italian Justice Minister Paola Severino, while addressing PACE on Tuesday, January 22nd.

The Italian Minister highlighted a series of tailored measures to reduce national prison overcrowding, underlining the creation of 3.178 new places in 2012 and the final objective of 11.700 ones at the end of 2014.

Moreover, Ms. Severino emphasized the relevance of some best practices introduced in the framework of the efficiency of the justice system and the ratification of Council of Europe conventions.

Video of the speech
Speech
States urged to tackle ‘structural problems' overloading the Strasbourg Court

See also:
Italy and the Council of Europe