Courts in Rome and Milan have resumed Italian citizenship trials through the judicial system, after months of paralysis. The move represents progress for thousands of descendants of Italians, especially Brazilians, who are awaiting a decision in these courts.
The suspension took place while awaiting the Constitutional Court's position on the legitimacy of citizenship jure sanguinis (by right of blood)The issue was raised by the courts of Rome, Milan, Bologna, and Florence.
The Constitutional Court published, on July 31, sentence no. 142/2025, recognizing as legitimate citizenship transmitted by filiation, even without territorial ties to Italy. The decision dismissed the argument of unconstitutionality, which questioned whether the current model violated principles such as popular sovereignty (Art. 1) and the reasonableness of norms (Art. 3).
Rome wants to zero out 2022 actions
With the ruling, the courts reorganized their schedules. In Rome, Judge Luciana Sangiovanni, president of the immigration section, stated that all cases initiated in 2022 must be heard by the end of 2025. The court has adopted internal measures to expedite the process and prevent a new backlog.
In Milan, the court also resumed holding hearings, prioritizing older cases.
Other courts already applied similar measures
Brescia, Ancona, Salerno, Naples and Venice have begun adopting practices to speed up trials last week.
One of these is the application of Article 127 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which allows judges to analyze cases solely based on the documentation presented. When no additional evidence is required, the hearing is considered complete, and the case proceeds directly to sentencing.
These changes are part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), an Italian government initiative to modernize the justice system and reduce time limits.
Most of the lawsuits are filed by descendants of Italians who opt for legal action as an alternative to long lines at consulates.
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