The Mafia phenomenon in Veneto

Local judicial approaches to Mafia-type criminal organisations

The Mafia phenomenon in Veneto

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive examination of the mafia phenomenon within the Venice Court of Appeal District, analysing the approaches that local judicial authorities have employed to identify and counter organised crime over the past decades. It considers both the specific characteristics of indigenous criminal groups and the infiltration of traditional mafia organisations from southern Italy. The second part of the contribution focuses on the main judicial measures used to target the economic resources of these organisations, highlighting how their development at the national and supranational level must be reconciled with the protection of fundamental human rights. In this context, the study presents a concise overview of key judicial trends, with particular emphasis on the most recent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.

March, 26 2026.
Judicial Cooperation

Author

Giacomo Vianello

Judicial Assistant, Second Criminal Section, Court of Appeal of Venice; Executive Master’s Candidate in EU Studies, Centre international de formation européenne

Court of Appeal of Venice, Italy