Instructing an Italian criminal lawyer from abroad

What is actually happening

< p>Italian criminal procedure separates two things that common law systems often merge. The appointment of a defence lawyer is a simple act: a signed declaration naming the lawyer, which can be sent by email or handed to the prison authorities. It requires no notary and no court.

A special authority is different and narrower. It is a formal power to do specific things in your name — to elect a domicile for service, to request a negotiated sentence, to consent to surrender under an arrest warrant, to lodge certain applications. Some of these acts cannot be done by a lawyer holding only a general appointment.

The distinction matters because the appointment lets the lawyer start immediately, while the authority can follow within days.

What to do now

In practical order:

• Send the case documents you have, however incomplete — a summons, a seizure record, an airport notice, a letter with a case number.
• Sign and return the appointment. Scan and email is sufficient to begin.
• Elect a domicile for service in Italy. Without one, court documents are served in ways that frequently mean you never see them, and a case can move forward while you know nothing about it. Your lawyer's office can be that address.
• Deal with the special authority next, not first. If it needs legalisation or an apostille that takes days, and the appointment is already doing the urgent work.

Instructing a lawyer

What we do without you being in Italy: identify the prosecutor and the court holding the file, obtain the case documents, appear at hearings, make applications, and where you are detained, visit you in prison.

What requires you: being questioned, if you choose to be questioned; and appearing in person where the court orders it, which is uncommon but not never.

On fees, Italian lawyers are not obliged to charge by a fixed tariff, but there is a ministerial schedule that courts use as a reference. Ask for the basis in writing at the start.

If you are reading this for someone else

A relative can instruct a lawyer for a detained person. Confirmation from the detained person follows at the first prison visit; it does not need to come first, and waiting for it can cost the confirmation hearing.

If the person is in custody, the fastest sequence is: relative appoints, lawyer locates and visits, detained person confirms. That can happen inside a day.

Provisions relied on

• Art. 96 c.p.p. (nomina del difensore di fiducia)
• Art. 122 c.p.p. (procura speciale)
• Art. 161 c.p.p. (elezione di domicilio)
• D.M. 55/2014 (parametri forensi)

Checked 18/08/2026. Italian sentencing provisions change; if you are reading this long afterwards, ask us to confirm.

Your rights

Italian law guarantees specific rights from the moment of first contact with the authorities. These apply regardless of nationality.

• Right to silence (diritto al silenzio). You are not obliged to answer questions. Anything said can and will be used. Silence cannot be held against you.
• Right to a lawyer. You can appoint a trusted lawyer (avvocato di fiducia) at any moment. If you do not, the authorities assign a duty lawyer (avvocato d'ufficio), which is not the same as having a chosen specialist.
• Right to an interpreter. If you do not speak Italian, you have the right to a qualified court interpreter at every stage, free of charge. This is a right, not a courtesy.
• Right to notification of charges. The investigating authority must inform you of what you are suspected of (avviso di garanzia) before questioning you as a suspect.
• Right to consular notification. As a foreign national, you can ask for your consulate to be notified. This is optional and the decision is yours.

The Italian criminal justice system

Italy has a civil-law accusatorial criminal procedure (Codice di procedura penale, 1989). The investigating magistrate (Pubblico Ministero) leads the investigation; the Giudice per le indagini preliminari (GIP) supervises coercive measures and rights. Key stages:

• Indagini preliminari — Preliminary investigation. Duration varies by offence seriousness (6 months to 2 years, extendable). The suspect is indagato, not formally accused.
• Udienza preliminare — Preliminary hearing. The GUP decides whether to commit the accused to trial or dismiss the case.
• Dibattimento — Trial. Oral, adversarial procedure before the relevant court. Evidence is examined in open court.
• Impugnazioni — Appeals. Two levels: Court of Appeal (Corte d'Appello) on fact and law; Court of Cassation on law only.

Defence strategy

An effective defence in Italy is not built at trial — it is built in the weeks immediately after the first contact with the authorities. The choices made in that window define what is still possible later.

• Qualification of the conduct. How the facts are legally characterized often determines the applicable sentence range. The difference between a more and a less serious charge can mean the difference between pre-trial detention and immediate release.
• Alternative procedures. Italian procedure offers alternatives to full trial: patteggiamento (plea bargain, up to one-third sentence reduction), rito abbreviato (abbreviated trial on the file, one-third mandatory reduction), and messa alla prova (community service-based suspension, for minor offences). These must be chosen at the right stage.
• Precautionary measures. If the client is detained, the priority is challenging the measure before the Tribunal del Riesame (within 10 days of the order) and, if unsuccessful, before the Court of Cassation. Each stage has strict deadlines.
• Mitigating circumstances. Artt. 62, 62-bis c.p. allow the judge to reduce the sentence substantially — up to one-third below the minimum — based on factors including first offence, partial repair of harm, and reduced culpability. Documenting these requires early preparation.

The first consultation is free and confidential. Call +39 335 669 3954 or write on WhatsApp. First contact free, 24/7, no need to be in Italy.

How we can help

Avv. Massimo Romano, Italian criminal defence lawyer assists clients in Italy and in cross-border cases from three offices: Naples (main seat), Rome, and Milan. The studio is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Emergency assistance. Immediate intervention at the police station or detention facility. The telephone is always answered, including nights and public holidays.
• Remote assistance. All stages of Italian criminal procedure can be followed from abroad. Briefings, document exchanges, and case updates take place by telephone, email, and encrypted messaging. You do not need to travel to Italy for every hearing.
• Family of a detained person. If a relative or friend has been arrested in Italy, the studio can locate the detainee, verify the charges, attend the validation hearing, and provide a full situation report — usually within hours of first contact.
• Cross-border cases. European Arrest Warrant, extradition, Interpol Red Notice, mutual legal assistance, and the transfer of foreign-convicted prisoners to serve their sentence at home: all require immediate specialist intervention.

First steps to take

• 1. Say nothing. Exercise the right to silence immediately. Do not explain, do not clarify, do not try to resolve the misunderstanding directly with the police. Everything said is recorded and can be used.
• 2. Ask for a lawyer. Name a specific lawyer if you have one; otherwise ask for one to be appointed. Do not proceed with any formal step (interrogation, search, statement) without a lawyer present.
• 3. Ask for an interpreter. If Italian is not your first language, request a qualified court interpreter. An agent who speaks some of your language is not an interpreter for legal purposes.
• 4. Identify the charges. Ask what offence you are suspected of, and which investigating authority is involved. This information determines the procedural framework and the urgency of specific actions.
• 5. Notify a contact. Give the authorities the name and telephone number of a person who can reach a lawyer on your behalf within the hour. This is especially important if you are a foreign national with no established contacts in Italy.

The first consultation is free and confidential. Call +39 335 669 3954 or write on WhatsApp. First contact free, 24/7, no need to be in Italy.

Related pages

• Public defender vs private lawyer in Italy
• Can i leave Italy during a criminal case
• Am i under investigation in Italy
• How long can police investigate in Italy
• Indagato vs imputato explained
• Italian criminal trial process