Italy’s judicial system is notoriously slow and unpredictable. It is a drag on business and a disincentive, in particular, to foreign investment. But the reforms would have done little to directly address these problems. Instead, through a constitutional amendment, they would have formally separated into two career paths the way judges, and investigating and prosecuting magistrates, are appointed and supervised, with the aim of ensuring trials are fair. Magistrates would have been chosen to serve on the governing body by lottery rather by election. Limited reforms like these are defensible and not out of line with practice elsewhere in Europe. But the context matters.