Giulia Bongiorno
Senator Giulia Bongiorno | |
---|---|
Bongiorno at the Festival dell’Economia di Trento in 2014. | |
Minister of Public Administration | |
Assumed office 1 June 2018 | |
Prime Minister | Giuseppe Conte |
Preceded by | Marianna Madia |
Member of the Senate of the Republic | |
Assumed office 23 March 2018 | |
Constituency | Sicily |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 28 April 2006 – 14 March 2013 | |
Parliamentary group |
National Alliance (2006–2008) People of Freedom (2008–2010) Future and Freedom (2010–2013) |
Constituency | Lazio 1 |
Personal details | |
Born |
Palermo, Sicily, Italy | 22 March 1966
Political party | Lega Nord (2018–present) |
Other political affiliations |
|
Education | University of Palermo |
Profession | Lawyer |
Giulia Bongiorno (born 22 March 1966) is an Italian lawyer and politician who has served as the Italian Minister of Public Administration since 1 June 2018. A prominent criminal defense attorney, she has served in both houses of the Italian parliament: formerly a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2008 to 2013, she has served as a Senator of the Italian Republic since 15 March 2018.
Background
A native of Sicily,[1] Bongiorno (a relative of Mike Bongiorno, the television host) studied at a Liceo classico, before matriculating to the University of Palermo, where she studied law.[2]
Law career
As a lawyer, she first rose to fame with her defence of Giulio Andreotti, the forty-first Prime Minister of Italy, during his Mafia association trials.[3][4][5] Bongiorno, then in her twenties, successfully defended the statesman in court over the next decade, through multiple appeals, finally culminating in a full acquittal before the Supreme Court of Cassation in 2004.[6][7] Her work in white-collar crime also brought her into contact with Sergio Cragnotti, the former head of Italian food company Cirio, whom she defended in a fraud case in 2008.[8]
She then went on to defend well-known clients, such as Ezio Greggio, Tiziano Ferro, and Simone Pianigiani, in tax-related criminal proceedings.[9] Bongiorno was also involved in cases with Clementina Forleo and Niccolò Ghedini;[10] as well as the acquittal of three Google executives, including David Drummond and George Reyes of defamation, in a case involving a video showing students bullying a handicapped boy.[11]
Her defense of Raffaele Sollecito, a college student, in the murder trial of Meredith Kercher resulted in the acquittal of her client;[12][13] the subsequent trials and acquittal of Sollecito's girlfriend, Amanda Knox, went on to become a cause célèbre in the United States.[14][15][16]
In the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster, she represented passengers suing the cruise line.[17]
Bongiorno is also known for her work in sports law, representing clients ranging from fencer Andrea Baldini, to footballers Cristiano Doni and Francesco Totti.[18]
Political career
First elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006 for the constituency of Lazio, Bongiorno left the lower house in 2013, having been re-elected in the snap election of 2008.[19] Originally a member of the National Alliance, upon its dissolution, she joined its successor, The People of Freedom, led by Silvio Berlusconi. After Berlusconi split with Gianfranco Fini in July 2010,[20] she left as well,[21] joining Fini's new Future and Freedom party, becoming a spokesperson for Future and Freedom,[22] and protesting against Berlusconi's scandals.[23]
After the general election in 2018, where she was elected as a Lega Nord Senator for Sicily,[24] she was seen a possible candidate for prime minister.[25]
Political positions
Bongiorno is a chief architect of the 2009 law criminalising stalking;[26] she has also denounced femicide.[27] In 2014, Bongiorno proposed that housewives should be paid for their work, in order to strengthen their economic independence and advance their social dignity.[26]
During her time in the lower house, Bongiorno shepherded a wiretapping bill through Parliament; the Italian Wikipedia protested by shutting down for a time. After punitive amendments were added, she disowned the bill entirely,[28] and it ultimately failed to pass. In 2017, she rejected another version of the bill, saying that it contained ambiguities of language and imposed a burden on judges.[29][30]
Minister of Public Administration
On 1 June 2018, Bongiorno became the Italian Minister of Public Administration.[31][32]
Other work
Bongiorno and Michelle Hunziker established a nonprofit foundation in 2007, Doppia Difesa (Double Defense), to combat discrimination, violence, and abuse against women.[26] The foundation has, among other activities, begun public awareness campaigns (including with Swarovski[33]), participated in conferences, and has received awards. The effectiveness of the foundation's efforts have been questioned.[34]
Personal life
Bongiorno has a son, Ian.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ Follain, John (2011). A death in Italy: the definitive account of the Amanda Knox case (1st U.S. ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-250-02424-4. OCLC 780481524.
- ↑ Giovagnini, di Maria Laura (28 May 2013). "Giulia Bongiorno: "Quel sì ad Andreotti mi ha emancipato"". IoDonna (in Italian). Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ Donadio, Rachel (29 September 2008). "Details Only Add to Puzzle in Umbrian Murder Case". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ Giuffrida, Angela (10 May 2018). "Five Star and League move closer to forming Italian government". Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ Nadeau, Barbie Latza (2010). Angel face: the true story of student killer Amanda Knox. New York: Beast Books. ISBN 978-0-9842951-3-5. OCLC 526077004.
- 1 2 Longrigg, Claire (1 March 2012). "The Woman Who Saved Amanda Knox". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018.
- ↑ Krause-Jackson, Flavia (6 May 2013). "Andreotti, Ex-Italian Premier Linked to Mafia, Dies at 94". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Sylvers, Eric (12 February 2004). "Ex-Chairman of Italian Food Producer Is Arrested". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ "Nel Governo Conte tre ministri siciliani: Bonafede, Bongiorno e Grillo". La Sicilia (in Italian). 31 May 2018. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Rubino, Monica (20 March 2018). "Presidenze Camere, perché Giulia Bongiorno è una pillola amara per Berlusconi". la Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Willan, Phillip. "Italian court overturns Google executives' privacy convictions". PCWorld. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Povoledo, Elsabetta (27 March 2015). "Amanda Knox Acquitted of 2007 Murder by Italy's Highest Court". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (28 March 2015). "Sollecito's formidable advocate cements reputation for winning tough cases". The Observer. Archived from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Thomas, Patricia (13 December 2009). "Jailed Amanda Knox tells AP that she's scared". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Payne, Ed (2 July 2014). "Amanda Knox's ex says there are anomalies in the case – CNN". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Bassiouni, M. Cherif. "Two Hypothetical Prospective Extradition Cause Célèbre: The Snowden and Knox Cases". In Acconci, Pia; Cattin, David; Marchesi, Antonio; Palmisano, Giuseppe; Santori, Victoria. International law and the protection of humanity: essays in honor of Flavia Lattanzi. Leiden. pp. 297–305. ISBN 9789004269491. OCLC 956351381.
- ↑ Pianigiani, Gaia (26 January 2012). "Costa Concordia Captain Says He Was Ordered to Changed Course". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ Kington, Tom (21 November 2010). "Amanda Knox's appeal hopes rest on Italy's top female lawyer". The Observer. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ "Camera.it – XVI Legislatura – Deputati e Organi Parlamentari – Scheda deputato – BONGIORNO Giulia". leg16.camera.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ Pianigiani, Gaia; Donadio, Rachel (30 July 2010). "Berlusconi Splits With Ally, Fini, in Italy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Leavy, Ariel (6 June 2011). "Basta Bunga Bunga". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ "Berlusconi facing second key vote". BBC News. 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ Donadio, Rachel; Povoledo, Elisabetta (13 February 2011). "Italian Women Take to Streets in Anger at Berlusconi". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ "Andreotti lawyer Bongiorno in League run (3) – English". ANSA.it. 18 January 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ Follain, John (10 May 2018). "Italy's Populists See Significant Step Toward New Government". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- 1 2 3 Davies, Lizzy (7 March 2014). "Italian campaigners call for housewives to be paid a salary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ Bandelli, Daniela (2017). Femicide, Gender and Violence: Discourses and Counterdiscourses in Italy (1st ed.). Springer International. ISBN 978-3-319-47785-5. OCLC 980287939.
- ↑ Day, Michael (7 October 2011). "Wikipedia closes in Italy after Silvio Berlusconi 'gagging' bid". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ AFP (6 November 2017). "Italy wiretaps bill could aid mafia and harm press freedom, critics say". The Local. Archived from the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ↑ The Economist. Economist Newspaper Limited. 2011. p. 65. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ↑ Winfield, Nicole (2 June 2018). "Populists take helm of Italy's government". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ↑ "Western Europe's first populist government sworn into power". CBS News. 1 June 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ↑ "Swarovski con Doppia Difesa al fianco delle donne". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 22 May 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
- ↑ Oricchio, Giada (26 January 2018). ""Doppia Difesa" sotto accusa, l'indagine di Selvaggia Lucarelli imbarazza Hunziker e Bongiorno". Il Tempo (in Italian). Archived from the original on 9 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.