Giovanni Leone


Leone, Giovanni

 

Born Nov. 3, 1908, in Naples. Italian politician and statesman. Professor of the law of criminal procedure. Prominent member of the Christian Democratic Party.

Leone was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1946 and participated in drafting the constitution of the republic of Italy in 1947. Elected a member of the republic’s parliament at each election, he was chairman of the Chamber of Deputies from 1955 to 1963 and was appointed senator for life in 1967. Leone was head of caretaker governments in 1963 and 1968 and was elected president of the republic of Italy in 1971.