Among Equals: The Causes of Effective Corruption Prosecution in Italy

The book explores the causes of prosecutorial independence and effectiveness against systemic corruption through the Italian "Clean Hands" operations, which resulted in hundreds of convictions and changed the Italian political landscape. It shows that egalitarian decision-making and organizational structures created ideal conditions for the emergence of legal innovations and their diffusion via judicial and prosecutorial networks, leading to an effective prosecutorial approach to systemic corruption.

Format: Hardback
Length: 258 pages
Publication date: 21 November 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

The book delves into the factors contributing to prosecutorial independence and effectiveness in combating systemic corruption by examining the circumstances that led to the remarkable success of the Italian "Clean Hands" operations. In 1992, Italian prosecutors exposed a widespread corruption network spanning multiple regions and government levels. The Clean Hands operation resulted in numerous convictions and significantly transformed the Italian political landscape. This judicial achievement arose from a gradual and contentious transition to more egalitarian prosecutorial institutions. The author demonstrates through case studies of prosecutors' offices in Milan, Rome, Palermo, and Reggio Calabria that the adoption of egalitarian decision-making empowered local prosecutors with enhanced independence in exploring innovative investigative techniques and legal theories. The establishment of egalitarian organizational structures created favorable conditions for the development of legal innovations and their widespread dissemination through judicial and prosecutorial networks. This process resulted in the accumulation of extensive prosecutorial expertise on complex criminal matters, such as domestic terrorism and mafia organizations, and led to the emergence of an effective prosecutorial approach to systemic corruption. Consequently, the Italian case provides valuable insights that can be applied to the prosecution of systemic corruption in other democratic societies.

Weight: 576g
Dimension: 237 x 159 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666938487