Civil law, three levels of courts, and why Italian justice is famously slow.
Plan your Italy trip →Italy uses a civil law system (based on written codes, not judicial precedent like Anglo-Saxon common law). The main codes: Codice Civile (civil), Codice Penale (criminal), Codice di Procedura Civile (civil procedure), Codice di Procedura Penale (criminal procedure). Three levels of courts: tribunale (first instance), corte d'appello (appeal), Corte di Cassazione (supreme court, Rome).
Italian justice is notoriously slow. Civil cases average 3-4 years at first instance. Criminal trials can take 5-10 years through all appeal levels. The Amanda Knox case (2007-2015) exemplified the system's length to an international audience. Reforms are ongoing but progress is incremental. The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly found Italy in violation of the "reasonable time" requirement.
You're unlikely to encounter the legal system. If you do (theft report, car accident, consumer dispute): police stations (Questura for passport issues, Carabinieri or Polizia di Stato for crimes). File reports ("denuncia") for insurance purposes. The police are generally helpful with tourists — language barriers are the main challenge. For serious issues, contact your embassy immediately.
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