Italy’s Constitutional Court has ruled that children must be given the surnames of both parents. The court held that the practice of giving children the father’s surname on their own is discriminatory.
Italy’s Constitutional Court has ruled that children must be given the surnames of both parents. (Photo: Rep/AP)
Italy’s Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court of the Italian Republic, ruled on Wednesday that children in the country must be given the surnames of both parents.
This decision has reversed the practice of automatically giving a child his father’s surname. The court said the practice is “discriminatory and injurious to the identity” of the child.
In a statement, the court said that children should be given the surnames of both the parents in the order decided by them, unless the parents agree on just one name.
For the decision to be implemented, it has to be approved by the Italian Parliament.
Italy’s Minister of Family and Equal Opportunities, Elena Bonetti, said on Facebook that the government would fully support the decision. He said that parents should take equal responsibility in the upbringing of the child.