Tar Catania, inaugurated the Judicial Year: record numbers. Appeal for rebirth after Cyclone Harry

The inauguration of the Judicial Year of the Tar of Catania turned into a moment of social reflection and institutional pride. President Pancrazio Maria Savasta outlined a framework in which the efficiency of the judicial system is inextricably intertwined with the moral duty to support a territory put to the test.

The opening speech immediately touched on the chords of current events and the suffering that has recently affected the Island. "I cannot refrain from starting by directing my thoughts to the recent events related to Cyclone Harry, which has affected almost the entire jurisdiction of this Court. An event that, along with the landslide in Niscemi, has deeply wounded Sicily. And the Administrative Court cannot lack extreme sensitivity towards a situation that involves the very interests of citizens and businesses, which daily engage our processes that necessarily involve the Public Administration," declared the president.

In the face of these tragedies, Savasta called for a collective awareness of everyone's role: "What can this latest event, which has disrupted the lives of many families, the entrepreneurial fabric, and even the already precarious roadways, teach us? What must be done and what can we expect? In a global context where peoples tend to drift apart, where the divisive prevails over solidarity, where the logic of the strongest increasingly drives global politics and economics, where the reaffirmation of diversities linked to the desire for supremacy emerges, it is essential to rekindle in our hearts the sense of belonging. But what is the sense of belonging? It would be wonderful if it were a generalized sense: belonging to the human race, to all peoples as a single people. But it has always been mere utopia, as History teaches us more about conflicts between Nations than about manifestations of peace."

Moving on to the analysis of operational data, the outlined balance highlights record results for the Etna court, which has far exceeded the set national objectives. "This year, just as at the national level, there has been an increase in appeals of 452 units, and therefore this further validates the results achieved, in the sense that this year, as a court, we have managed to achieve the results required by the Presidency Council, which calls for a 10% reduction, and we have resolved 18.92%, which is almost 500 fewer appeals. As well as those of the Pnrr, which aimed for just over 4,500 appeals by June 30, 2026, while we find ourselves with 2,134 by December 30, 2025," the magistrate explained with satisfaction.

A milestone so clear has been achieved by relying exclusively on the court's resources, drastically reducing waiting times for judgments. "More than 3,000 judgments have been published, and I want to emphasize that this year they are all judgments from the court's magistrates, because there have been no disposal hearings, which are those extraordinary hearings that were held for the reduction of backlog with judges coming from outside, that is, from other courts with remote hearings, thus at zero cost, and we have produced 655 more judgments as a court. The most significant data, in my opinion, can be found in the timeframes for resolving cases. We have timeframes of 19 days for the precautionary phase of contracts, which become 95 for the decision on the merits, thus very rapid times, below the national average, which is still excellent, at 107 days. And the most striking data is that the average resolution time for appeals this year has settled at 274 days, practically 9 months, and just under 50% of the appeals were resolved within the same year. So filed in 2025 and resolved, indeed, in 2025. This is a result that I believe may have no equals, let's say, in the national landscape, and we are particularly satisfied with this."

The conclusion of the report translated into a vibrant appeal for civic engagement and personal responsibility from those who administer justice not to yield to indifference. "Let us make our voices heard in this Sicily, in this Italy. Let us become attentive doctors to the care of the wounds of our Land. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations. Let us not resign ourselves to an inescapable fate. Let us not resign ourselves to the habit of thinking that nothing can be done to improve our society," urged Savasta.

Recalling the words of a famous figure in Italian journalism, he added: "Habit is the most infamous of diseases because it makes us accept any misfortune, any pain, any death, as Oriana Fallaci said. We, as the Court, must always keep our conscience high for everything we do, aware that we judges are also judged by the commitment and attention we put into our work, and it is up to us to offer citizens reasons to regain trust in institutions, trust that is too often overwhelmed by indifference and the inability to provide answers in terms of efficiency and competence. I have always thought that it is not difficult. It just takes the will and the willingness to offer our freedom in the service of others, the only way to be truly free."

Finally, the president closed the inauguration with a necessary and heartfelt acknowledgment of teamwork: "With this commitment, I also renew this year my sincere thanks to the presidents, to my colleagues, to the general secretary, to the administrative staff, to the lawyers, and to all the legal operators for everything that has been and will still be done to protect citizens, businesses, and legality that drives the activity of the Public administration."

Also present at the ceremony was the President of the Council of State Luigi Maruotti, who spoke for the first time in Catania and emphasized "the institutional importance of the Tar for Sicily also for its historical peculiarities" and highlighted "the typical functions of the Administrative Judge to provide protection for subjective legal positions and to guide the Administrations in identifying solutions compliant with the law. The Tar confirms itself as an important bastion of legality in the territory."