Italy senate approves law and order revamp

Rome: Soldiers could be sent into Italy's cities, illegal immigrants jailed for four years and all minor court cases frozen for a year under new measures approved on Tuesday.

Italy's senate voted 166 to 123 for a wide-ranging package of law and order powers that will allow Silvio Berlusconi to govern with an iron fist.

The prime minister will now be able to use as many as 3,000 soldiers for up to six months in order to fight crime. Previously, the use of the army had to be authorised by parliament.

Non-serious trials on hold

Under a measure that aims to free up Italy's judiciary to concentrate on murder and Mafia cases, more than 100,000 "non-serious" trials, including those for fraud, manslaughter, theft and kidnapping, will shut down for a year to give the courts a chance to catch up on their backlog.

Controversially, this measure could potentially also apply to a corruption case involving Berlusoni himself.

"Certainly Mr Berlusconi deserves a one-year sabbatical from facing all these trials, but he will not ask for his trial to be suspended," quipped Nicolo Ghedini, Berlusconi's lawyer.

"I have defended Mr Berlusconi for many years. He has faced 17 trials, involving 900 judges and 1,000 hearings. He has been put on trial for everything from the bombs in Florence to Mafia association in Palermo," Ghedin said.

"We will vote no," Anna Finocchiaro, a spokeswoman for the opposition Democratic Party had said. "The text has two mistaken measures, which are dangerous and against the constitution. First there is the criminalisation of immigration, and the second is the suspension of trials". Berlusconi, though, had the overwhelming majority in the Senate.

I have defended Mr Berlusconi for many years. He has faced 17 trials, involving 900 judges and 1,000 hearings. He has been put on trial for everything from the bombs in Florence to Mafia association in Palermo."