Italian court rules newborns should not automatically be given their father's last name

Italy's tradition of giving a child their father's last name has been overturned by a court. The country's Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that both parents should be able to choose their baby's surname.

The current practice of using the father's last name is "discriminatory and harmful to the identity" of the child, the court said in a statement, according to Reuters. The court said children should be given both parents' last names — in whichever order the parents decide — unless the parents agree to use just one.

The Italian government will have to create and approve new legislation in order to implement the court's decision, Reuters reports.