The Constitutional Court of the Italian Republic, the highest court in Italy, ruled on Wednesday that children in the country should be given the surnames of both parents.

The ruling has overturned the tradition of automatically giving a child their father’s surname. The court said the practice was “discriminatory and harmful to the identity” of the child.

In a statement, the court said that children should be given both parents’ surnames in the order they decide, unless the parents agree on just one of the names.

For the decision to be implemented, it has to be approved by the Italian parliament.

Elena Bonetti, Minister for Family and Equal Opportunities in Italy, said on Facebook that the government would fully support the decision. She added that parents should take equal responsibility in the upbringing of a child.