An Italian constitutional court has ruled that children born in the country should be given the surnames of both both parents.
This has overturned the tradition whereby all newborns automatically receive the surname of their fathers. The court ruled that the practice was discriminatory and harmful to the identity of the child.
It said that both parents should be able to choose the surname of their child, and that they should be given both surnames in the order they decide unless they agree that they take just one.
New legislation, which is set to be approved by parliament, is required to implement the new decision. Family minister Elena Bonetti said in a Facebook post that the government would fully support parliament in this process.
“We need to give substance [to the decision] … and it is a high priority and urgent task of politics to do so,” she wrote, adding that parents should take equal responsibility for the upbringing of a child.
#MaltaDaily