Marta Cartabia

Marta Cartabia (; born 14 May 1963) is an Italian jurist and academic who served as Minister of Justice in the national unity government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Cartabia previously was Judge of the Constitutional Court of Italy between 2011 and 2020, Vice President from 12 November 2014 to 11 December 2019 and President from 11 December 2019 to 13 September 2020.

The Cartabia Reform of Italy's criminal justice, approved in November 2021, is named after her. She is a professor of constitutional law. She was the first woman to hold the office of President of the Constitutional Court and became President of Council of Europe's Venice Commission in December 2025.

Early life and education Cartabia was born in San Giorgio su Legnano, near Milan, in 1963. In 1987, she graduated with honours at the University of Milan, with the thesis "Does a European Constitution exist?" with professor Valerio Onida as her supervisor. She obtained a Ph.D. in law from the European University Institute in Florence in 1993.

Career Cartabia worked at the Constitutional Court of Italy as a clerk between 1993 and 1996. In 2005, she was employed by the University of Milano-Bicocca as professor of the Jean Monnet Course of European Constitutional Law. Cartabia succeeded Maria Rita Saulle, who had died in office. She was appointed Vice President of the Court on 12 November 2014.

In December 2017, Cartabia was appointed as a substitute member for Italy to the European Commission for Democracy through Law of the Council of Europe, also known as Venice Commission. On 11 December 2019, Cartabia succeeded Giorgio Lattanzi as President of the Constitutional Court, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Cartabia received all 14 votes.

Minister of Justice On 13 February 2021, Cartabia became Minister of Justice in the Draghi government, succeeding Alfonso Bonafede. Cartabia was the third woman after Paola Severino and Annamaria Cancellieri to hold this position. On 28 April, she obtained the extradition to Italy of seven former left-wing terrorists of the Years of Lead who had found protection in France due to the Mitterrand doctrine. On 8 July 2021, the Council of Ministers launched the reform of the criminal justice system, spearheaded by Cartabia herself, in collaboration with commission of experts chaired by the former President of the Constitutional Court Giorgio Lattanzi. In November 2021, the reform of the Italian civil procedure was also approved by Parliament. These reforms were important in order to obtain European post-COVID-19 recovery funds (Next Generation EU). As Minister of Justice, she was in favour of the implementation of alternatives to imprisonment, such as semi-release, home detention, community service, and fines for those given a sentence up to four years.

Other activities On 11 September 2021, Cartabia was appointed by Pope Francis as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. She was later appointed as a member of the Section for fundamental questions of the Dicastery for Evangelization. Starting in April 2023, she became a member of the board of directors of the Agnelli Foundation. She is also a member of the Ethic and Integrity Research Commission in the National Research Council. In December 2025, Cartabia was elected as president of Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.

Recognition Cartabia was made Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic on 24 October 2011.

Writings