Introduction:
Three Canadian-born descendants of an Italian emigrant turned to the Court of Catanzaro to claim recognition of their status as Italian citizens. Faced with decade-long delays at consulates, they opted for judicial relief to affirm their rights under the principle of citizenship iure sanguinis.
Outcome:
On January 28, 2025, the Court of Catanzaro upheld the petitioners’ claim, recognizing them as Italian citizens by descent and ordering the Ministry of the Interior and relevant Civil Registry to update their status. The Ministry raised no objections, and costs were fully compensated.
Challenge:
Although the petitioners submitted extensive genealogical documentation, they faced a practical barrier: Italian consular offices in their region had wait times of up to ten years, rendering the administrative route inaccessible. Furthermore, outdated interpretations of mass naturalizations in countries like Canada threatened to undermine their right to citizenship.
Action:
The applicants provided translated and apostilled documents tracing their unbroken descent from an Italian ancestor. The court reiterated key principles from recent Supreme Court rulings: citizenship is a permanent, imprescriptible right, and can only be lost through voluntary, explicit renunciation—not through presumed naturalizations or silent omissions. The Court also ruled that administrative delays do not preclude access to justice.
For the privacy of our clients, all names are fictional, and any identifying details in the judgements have been obscured.