Italy has a woman at the helm of the supreme Court of Cassation for the first time after the CSM, the judiciary's self-governing body, elected Margherita Cassano the court's president on Wednesday.
Cassano, the former president of the Florence court of appeal,
replaces Pietro Curzio, who retiring.
She had been Curzio's deputy.
"The role of the magistrate is not just about technical ability,
but also about humanity, the capacity to listen, deep respect
for other people and the capacity to understand the human
tragedies hidden behind every case brought to our attention,"
Cassano said after being appointed to her new role.
Cassano's appointment comes on the heels of Premier Giorgia
Meloni becoming Italy's first woman head of government last year
after leading a right-wing alliance to victory in September's
general election.
Furthermore, Elly Schlein has become the first woman to lead
Italy's opposition, centre-left Democratic Party (PD) after
winning Sunday's leadership primary.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio congratulated Cassano, saying her
appointment was the "finish line of a path that started 60 years
ago with the entry of the first women into the judiciary.
"It is another fundamental step forward towards real gender
equality," he added.
"Cassano will be a point of reference for the increasingly
numerous young women who pass the competitive exam (to become
magistrates) to give an essential service to the Republic".
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