Born in 1943. Former Member of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) National leadership and Executive. Elected to Parliament on the PSI list. Former Minister of Justice.

Mr Martelli served as deputy prime Minister in the 6th Andreotti government. While still very young, he joined the Mazzinian Association, and then the Young Republicans' Federation. In 1966 he joined the Socialist unification movement, where he met Bettino Craxi and fell in with the autonomist wing of the PSI. There followed a long political apprenticeship spent as Secretary in local branch offices, as a municipal councillor, Deputy Chairman of the World Young Socialists League, city secretary and later group council leader for Milan. In the meantime he also held down a job at the Philosophy Faculty of Milan University. In 1976 he left the university when Craxi became PSI Secretary and called him to work for the party in Rome. A member of the Italian and European Parliaments, for almost a decade he was in charge of Italian culture, news and entertainment. In 1981 he became Deputy Secretary of the PSI, since 1984 the sole holder of the post. He first became Minister of Justice in 1991, retaining the post in the 1992 Amato government. Actually Director of the "Mondo Operaio" journal.