Abstract

In the case of Oliari and Others v. Italy the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 8 (Right to respect for private and family life) of the Convention. The legal protection currently available to same-sex couples in Italy did not only fail to provide for the core needs relevant to a couple in a stable committed relationship, but it was also not sufficiently reliable. The judgment is an opportunity to analyse the recent Italian court cases concerning the protection of same-sex couples and relevance of same-sex marriage in Italy.