Saras World

Rome, 6 July 2011 – The Court of first instance of Rome decided to reaffirm a, isolated precedent of 1997 and stated that sterilisation is not to be understood as a mandatory requirement for gender reassignment. This decision will hopefully change the prevailing interpretation of the law in the country.

The Tribunal of Rome decided on 11 March 2011 [judgement on EJ database] to grant gender reassignment in a case where the applicant eventually decided not to undergo gender reassignment surgery and referred to a previous decision of 1997 by the same court.

A judicial procedure for reassignment is required by the 1982 law. The law is widely constructed as requiring sterilisation. The decision is of the greatest importance as it comes from a court that is perhaps the one dealing with the highest number of applications for gender reassignment in Italy. Rome hosts the SAIFIP, a medical centre specialized in gender identity issues and a leading institution in Italy.

The decision is definitive and cannot be appealed.