First instance body dealing with electoral disputes

CONSTITUTION OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC

Adopted on the 01/01/1948

Art 66: Each House shall verify the credentialsof its members and the causes of ineligibility and incompatibility that mayarise at a later stage.

Art66: CiascunaCamera giudica dei titoli di ammissione dei suoi componenti e delle causesopraggiunte di ineleggibilit? e di incompatibilit?

http://en.camera.it/application/xmanager/projects/camera_eng/file/costituzione-aggiornata_EN_10_10_12.pdf

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES RULES OF PROCEDURE.

As modified on the 06/10/1998

Art: 17:1The Committee on Elections shallconsist of thirty members, appointed by the President after the parliamentarygroups have been established. It shall report to the Assembly, not more thaneighteen months after the elections, on the regularity of elections, thequalifications for admission of members and the causes of ineligibility,incompatibility or revocation provided by law, and shall formulate itsproposals for validation, cancellation or forfeiture of elections.

Art 17.1:La Giunta delle elezioni ? composta ditrenta deputati, nominati dal Presidente non appena costituiti i Gruppiparlamentari. Essa riferisce all’Assemblea, non oltre diciotto mesi dalleelezioni, sulla regolarit? delle operazioni elettorali, sui titoli di ammissionedei deputati e sulle cause di ineleggibilit?, di incompatibilit? e di decadenzapreviste dalla legge, formulando le relative proposte di convalida,annullamento o decadenza.

Link: http://leg16.camera.it/437?conoscerelacamera=237

SENATE RULES OF PROCEDURE

Art 19 Committee on elections and parliamentaryimmunity:

1.The Selected Committee on Elections andParliamentary Immunity shall comprise twenty-three Senators and be chaired by aSenator elected by the Committee from among its members.

2. Senators appointed by the President of the Senateto membership of the Committee may not decline, and may not resign. ThePresident of the Senate may replace any member of the Committee who, forserious reasons, is unable to attend the sittings of the Committee for a longperiod of time.

Art 19Della Giunta per il Regolamento, della Giuntadelle elezioni e delle immunit? parlamentari:

1. La Giunta delleelezioni e delle immunit? parlamentari ? composta di ventitr? Senatori ed ?presieduta da un Senatore che la Giunta elegge fra i propri membri.

2. I Senatorinominati dal Presidente del Senato a comporre la Giunta non possono rifiutarela nomina, n? dare le dimissioni. Il Presidente del Senato pu? sostituire uncomponente della Giunta che non possa per gravissimi motivi partecipare, per unperiodo prolungato, alle sedute della Giunta stessa.

Link: http://www.senato.it/3807

Each Chambers Committee effectively validates theelection. Thus, the Chambers of Deputy decides on claims for the election. Thesame for the Senate. According to the Constitution, this power is the exclusiveprerogative of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, which are also responsiblefor hearing appeals made by unelected candidates. The Committees have an investigatingand referring power but each Assembly votes and decides on the Committeeproposals and results.  For the Chamberof Deputies for example the Committee evaluates the qualifications of eachDeputy for the admission to Parliament. In other words, the Committee isresponsible for verifying the accuracy of the election of each Deputy and forrecommending that the House of Chamber validates or annuls the election of aMember (Rules 17 and 17-bis). The Committee examines the records of allelectoral seats and even the individual ballot papers of citizens, ifnecessary. The Committee also assesses whether there are reasons ofineligibility or incompatibility with a parliamentary mandate and reports tothe Assembly, which adopts a decision on the matter. The same process is validfor the other Chamber: the Senate.

According to the jurisprudence of the SupremeCourt (Corte di Cassazione, April 6,2006 n. 8118, id. April 8, 2008 n. 9151) there is complete lack of jurisdictionof the ordinary and administrative courts to judge disputes concerning theelectoral operations and disputes relating to national political elections.