activities |
added |
-
- date
- 2009-03-11
- docs
-
- type
- Committee draft report
- title
- PE421.345
- body
- EP
- type
- Committee draft report
-
- date
- 2009-03-31
- text
The Committee on Legal Affairs unanimously adopted the
report drawn up by Aloyzas SAKALAS (PES, LT) on the request for
consultation on the immunity and privileges of Antonio DI PIETRO (a
former Italian MEP). The committee decided not to waive the
immunity of Antonio Di Pietro, for the following
reasons:
By letter of 15 May 2008, the Permanent
Representation of the Italian Republic forwarded to the European
Parliament the order of the Civil Court of Rome of 10 April
2007 in a civil case between Filippo Verde (claimant) and Antonio
Di Pietro (defendant). In its order, the Italian Court asks the
European Parliament to rule on the immunity of Mr Di Pietro, given
that he was a member of the European Parliament at the material
time.
Recall that in February 2003, Mr Di Pietro published
an article in which he stated, inter alia, that Mr Filippo Verde
and other judges had taken a bribe for "fixing" a judgment in a
case pending in Italy. However, Mr Di Pietro has since recognised
that his article contained an "astounding error" caused by a
commonplace file copy problem (Mr Verde's name should never have
appeared in the aforementioned article).
However, the case was pursued and the Civil Court of
Rome called for the waiver of Mr Di Pietro's immunity in order to
bring proceeding against him.
The Committee on Legal Affairs considers that, as a
matter of fact, in his statements Mr Di Pietro merely commented on
facts in the public domain (in fact, it is one of the most
important judicial affairs of recent Italian political life). He
was therefore carrying out his duty as a Member of Parliament in
expressing his opinion on a matter of public interest to his
constituents. According to the committee, Mr Di Pietro was carrying
out his duty as a Member of Parliament and to seek to gag Members
of Parliament from expressing their opinions on matters of
legitimate public interest and concern by bringing legal
proceedings is unacceptable in a democratic society and in breach
of Article 9 of the Protocol, which is intended to protect Members'
freedom of expression in the performance of their duties in the
interests of Parliament as an Institution.
On the basis of the above considerations, the
Committee on Legal Affairs, having examined the reasons for and
against defending immunity, recommends that the immunity of Mr
Antonio Di Pietro be defended.
- body
- EP
- committees
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- True
- committee
- JURI
- date
- 2008-06-25
- committee_full
- Legal Affairs
- rapporteur
-
- group
- PSE
- name
- SAKALAS Aloyzas
- type
- Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
-
- date
- 2009-04-01
- docs
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2009-0197&language=EN
- type
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
- title
- A6-0197/2009
- body
- type
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
-
- date
- 2009-04-01
- docs
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2009-0197&language=EN
- type
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
- title
- A6-0197/2009
- body
- EP
- type
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
-
- date
- 2009-04-22
- docs
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2009-0235
- text
The European Parliament decided by 654 votes to 11,
with 13 abstentions, not to waive Antonio Di Pietro's (a former
Italian MEP) immunity.
Mr Di Pietro is pursued in Italy in the context of a
civil procedure for defamation. Following the opinion of the Legal
Affairs Committee, Parliament considers that Mr Di Pietro was only
expressing his opinion on matters of legitimate public interest in
performance of his duty as an MEP and therefore his immunity should
be defended.
- type
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
- title
- T6-0235/2009
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=17071&l=en
- type
- Results of vote in Parliament
- title
- Results of vote in Parliament
- body
- EP
- type
- Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
|
committees |
added |
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- True
- committee
- JURI
- date
- 2008-06-25
- committee_full
- Legal Affairs
- rapporteur
-
- group
- PSE
- name
- SAKALAS Aloyzas
|
procedure |
added |
- dossier_of_the_committee
- JURI/6/64055
- reference
- 2008/2146(IMM)
- title
- Request for waiver of the immunity of Antonio Di Pietro
- legal_basis
- Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 006
- stage_reached
- Procedure completed
- subtype
- Waiver of immunity
- type
- IMM - Members' immunity
- subject
- 8.40.01.03 Members' immunity
|