Father only surname

Italy 'father-only' surname law rejected

 Lawyers argued that preventing families from giving children their mother's surname discriminated against women.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had earlier condemned the legislation - which dates from Roman times - and ordered Italy to change it.

Campaigners hailed Tuesday's ruling and called for parliament to endorse it.

"The court has declared the unlawfulness of rules providing for the automatic attribution of the paternal surname to legitimate children, when the parents wish otherwise," the constitutional court said in a statement.