Revista da EMERJ - V. 21 - N. 2 - Maio/Agosto - 2019

23  R. EMERJ, Rio de Janeiro, v. 21, n. 2, p. 11-39, Maio-Agosto, 2019  representation of parliamentary minorities. 53 The CSM is presided over by the President of the Republic, who however rarely attends its meetings. The main functions of leadership, therefore, are performed by the Vice President, elected from among the members designated by the Parliament. Besides the President of the Republic, the CSM includes two other ex of- ficio members: the President of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the General Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Cassation. At present, the CSM is composed of 27 members. In addition to the three ex officio mem- bers, 8 members are elected by Parliament and 16 by magistrates. All 24 elected members are renewed in toto every four years and their appoint- ment cannot be renewed in the successive four years. 54 5. Expansion of Powers of the High Council The purpose of ensuring judicial independence has come to shape every aspect of the governance of the judiciary in Italy and promotes an impressive expansion of the tasks of the High Council of the Judiciary, beyond the wording of Art. 105 of the Italian Constitution, which entrusts the CSM with recruitments, assignments and reassignments, promotions and disciplinary measures with regards to judges and prosecutors. 55 According to G. Di Federico , who has extensively written on the issues of judicial independence and role of the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura , there are four main areas in which the CSM’s powers have expanded. 56 First, the CSM issues a set of rules to be followed by the Presidents of courts when drawing up management plans that, inter alia , lay down criteria for the assignment of cases to individual judges. 57 Secondly, the CSM’s powers have expanded in relation to the pro- fessional training and education of magistrates. This field has always been considered by the CSM as a necessary tool to promote judicial indepen- dence. From the early 1990s, the CSM has progressively developed struc- 53 Art. 104, para 4 Const. 54 Art. 104, para 7 Const. 55 For further remarks, cf. R. Caponi , Judicial Independence in Italy – The Role of the Consiglio Superiore della Magis- tratura, p. 135 ff. 56 Cf. G. Di Federico , Judicial Independence in Italy, p. 362. 57 Cf. G. Di Federico , Judicial Independence in Italy, p. 362.