Carlo Taormina


Carlo Taormina is an Italian lawyer, politician, jurist and academic. Before his political career, Taormina was one of the main commentators for the Italian sports talk program "Il Processo di Biscardi".

Lawyer career

Taormina graduated in Law from university "La Sapienza" in Roma, becoming at first a Lawyer and, at a later time, a magistrate.
During Taormina's career as a lawyer he worked on many famous cases, including:
Taormina was also the private lawyer for:
Taormina during his lawyer career was also dedicated to teaching other academics: in 1975 he became a professor of penal procedures at the Università di Macerata, he currently still teaches penal procedures at the Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata". His teaching method was influenced mainly by Alfredo De Marsico, Giuseppe Sabatini and Giovanni Conso. Taormina has also written a series of pamphlets and research papers, which mainly focus on the relationship between the accusers and the accused. some of his most famous scripts are a manual on process law and several monographs. In 1975 he became the editorial director for the specialistic newspaper " La Giustizia Penale". He also held the role of co-director for the paper "Il Foro Italiano".

Political career

Taormina began his political career in 1996, becoming a candidate for Forza Italia for the chamber of deputees in the college of Roma Monte Sacro representing "Polo per le Libertà": he obtained 49.9% of the consensus and was defeated by a few voted by Ennio Parrelli representing the political coalition Ulivo.

Deputy for "Forza Italia" (2001–06)

During the XIV legislature of Italy he became a deputy representing Forza Italia being given the role of "Vice-Capogruppo" of the party in the chamber of deputies, he was elected in the "collegio 29" of the circumscription III using the "lista civetta""of the 2001 Italian general election.
His political role was not renewed in the XV legislature.
In regards to his political activities during these years and being Silvio Berlusconi's secretary and private lawyer Taormina declared:

Parliamentary secretary of the home office (2001)

Taormina was briefly undersecretary to the Ministry of the Interior in the Berlusconi II government: he resigned after only six months when the press pointed out that his role as deputy secretary "for matters relating to the coordination of anti-racket and anti-usury initiatives, and the coordination of solidarity initiatives for the victims of mafia-type crimes " was in a conflict of interest with the exercise of legal defence in favour of various defendants for mafia events and in criminal trials in which the State had formed a civil party. In particular, the episode in which he presented himself as the legal defender of the boss of the "Santa Corona Unita" Francesco Prudentino caused a sensation, accompanied by the escort he was entitled to as an undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior.

Joining "Movimento 5 Stelle"

In March 2016 Taormina announced his subscription to the 5 Star Movement, which he had already supported in the 2014 European elections.
Taormina has however specified that he does not want to return to active politics and that he wants to continue his career as a lawyer, supporting Beppe Grillo's movement as a private citizen.

Law on legitimate suspicion

Taormina extended the original text on the "ad personam" law on legitimate suspicion :

Ilaria Alpi Commission and Telekom Serbia Commission

Taormina was also the chairman of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the death of Ilaria Alpi and Miran Hrovatin, at that time his involvement aroused controversy when he was accused of having used investigative powers to control the work of the other Commission based at the time in "palazzo San Macuto". This commission was working on the "Telekom Serbia affair", of which he was also a member:

Legislative activity

Taormina has presented several bills as the first signatory, mainly in the legal-procedural field, including:
As a co-signer, he presented proposals related to different topics :

Condamned for discrimination on the job of homosexual individuals

Despite having supported liberal opinions such as the institution of homosexual civil unions, during his political activity, in 2013, he made some homophobic statements to the program "The mosquito" and has repeatedly stated that he does not want to hire lawyers, other collaborators or homosexual workers in his office.
The Bergamo Labor Court, following the appeal filed by the Advocate association for LGBTI rights – Lenford Network, considered that Taormina's expressions were, as discriminatory towards homosexuals, suitable to dissuade certain subjects from submitting their candidacies to professional study and, therefore, likely to hinder their access to work or make it more difficult, in violation of the rules protecting equal treatment in terms of employment and working conditions. For this reason, on 6 August 2014, Taormina was sentenced to pay the sum of 10,000.00 Euros as compensation for damages.
Following the sentencing, he challenged the measure asking for its reform to the Brescia Court of Appeal, which however, with a sentence of 11 December 2014, rejected his appeal and confirmed the first instance measure

Current activities

Since 2007 Taormina has participated as a football commentator on the sports broadcast "Biscardi's trial", distinguishing himself both for his Romanist faith and for his aversion to Juventus. On 7 November 2008 he founded the Lega Italia, a movement chaired by Taormina himself, with which he ran for the presidency of the Lazio region in the 2010 regional elections. In 2009 he launched himself against Beppino Englaro and the magistrates of Udine for allowing death by Eluana Englaro, announcing a premeditated murder complaint.
Taormina opposed the bill on the short trial, calling it "Shameful, criminal, criminogenic and ridiculous". According to Taormina, Berlusconi has pressed for the approval of the short trial as a threat to raise the price and obtain the law on the legitimate impediment. This rule, which according to Taormina is "clearly unconstitutional" in that "the precondition for impediment is a charge", is explicitly temporary to allow the approval of an Alfano-bis award as a constitutional law.
In 2011 he was appointed prince regent of Filettino, a municipality in the Frosinone area whose mayor, in reaction to the "common-cut" maneuver of the last Berlusconi government, started a secessionist movement. On the maneuver of the Monti government, Taormina declared himself in harmony with the Lega Nord. In an interview with the radio program La Zanzara answers the question "What is the greatest criminal who defended?" saying he was an MP from Christian Democrats now no longer in politics.
In 2017 he was one of the many signers of the appeal of the newspaper "Il Tempo" asking for release, with postponement and suspension under penalty of health reasons, in favor of the former parliamentarian Marcello Dell'Utri, sentenced for external competition in mafia association and other crimes minors.

Pop culture

Carlo Taormina makes an appearance as an animated character in the animated film Somalia94 – The Ilaria Alpi case by Marco Giolo, published by Dynit.