Brescia, Salerno, Ancona and Naples bring forward Italian citizenship hearings

This week, Italian courts have been adopting the anticipation of hearings in recognition of Italian citizenship swear sanguinis. The measure, applied in Brescia, Salerno, Nápoles e Ancona, seeks to alleviate the backlog of cases and speed up the issuance of rulings. The strategy is supported by local decrees and includes bonuses for judges.

Local decrees authorize written rite and bonuses

In Brescia, for example, Judge Gustavo Nanni moved the hearing for case No. 16297/2024 to January 15, 2026, allowing the entire process to take place in writing. The decision, published on October 3, 2025, followed the terms of Article 127-ter of the Code of Civil Procedure, which authorizes the replacement of the oral hearing with the submission of written statements by the parties.

A similar measure was adopted by Judge Andrea Ferraiuolo, of the Salerno Court, who maintained the hearing for December 17, 2025, but ordered it to be held exclusively in writing.

Naples is also following the same path, based on decrees authorizing the widespread use of the written procedure, especially in cases involving citizenship. The change is supported by internal regulations and the provision of bonuses for judges who advance hearings and issue decisions within shorter deadlines.

In the city, eight honorary criminal judges were appointed to temporarily serve in the 13th Civil Chamber, which specializes in immigration and recognition of Italian citizenship.

According to the lawyer Andrew Montone, the practice is directly linked to the implementation of so-called "extraordinary requests," provided for in decrees issued by court presidents. These administrative acts enable not only the internal restructuring of courts but also productivity bonuses.

"This ends up relieving the Judiciary. This measure depends on the president of each court, who must issue a specific decree. It addresses what we call 'extraordinary requests,' as provided for in the decree regulating this type of request. It is a positive solution and we hope it will reach other courts as well.“, he said to Italianism.

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Favorable scenario for new applicants

The advances and adoption of the written procedure represent an advance in the processing of citizenship lawsuits, reducing waiting times and procedural costs.

With more judges issuing sentences in less time, the expectation is that the Italian Judiciary will reduce the historical backlog of cases involving descendants of Italians abroad.