Silvio Berlusconi faces two trials if his immunity is lifted by the Constitutional Court Italy’s Constitutional Court is due to give a ruling on whether the Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, can be tried on corruption and fraud charges.
Judges have to decide if legislation giving him temporary immunity from prosecution breaches the principle that all citizens are equal before the law.
Mr Berlusconi is a defendant in two trials, but they have in effect been suspended because of the law.
He has denied any wrongdoing and said he is indifferent to Thursday’s ruling.
“It really does not matter to me whether these trials are stopped or not,” he told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday. “I find the case laughable.”
The law granting members of the government immunity from prosecution for up to 18 months was passed in March in the face of bitter opposition.
If the court’s 15 judges throw out the “legitimate impediment” law on constitutional grounds, Mr Berlusconi faces two sets of proceedings.
He is accused of bribing British lawyer David Mills to give false testimony in 1997 to protect the media tycoon’s business interests.
He is also accused of tax fraud and false accounting in the acquisition of television rights by his Mediaset broadcasting empire.
The prime minister has argued he is the target of left-wing prosecutors.
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