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A reconstruction of the stenographic record of the debate that took place in the Constituent Assembly leading to the formulation of Article 32 of the Italian Constitution, which covers the right to health, confirms that it was the Assembly's conscious intention to make an explicit statement about the right of self-determination with regard to medical treatments as an absolute right of individual freedom. This has the effect of refuting a tendency to interpret the article in the opposite sense that has been gaining ground in Italian legal and bioethetical circles, especially in positions inspired by the teachings of the Roman Catholic church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an obituary for Renato Treves, a sociology and philosophy of law professor in Italy.

This article traces a panoramic picture of the changes in family law in Italy during the last decade, with special reference to: the problems of adoption, divorce, abortion, and family counseling, the profound innovations introduced into the Civil Code in 1975 concerning relationships between spouses, between parents and children, and between children born in and out of wedlock, and the consequent problems of inheritance. The transformation of positive law is analyzed from a sociological point of view that explores both changes in the socioeconomic environment in which, and the political debate through which, they occurred. On the basis of a broad examination of relevant empirical research and theoretical studies, the authors conclude that, even though the reforms may represent normative innovations in the context of the plurality of family models in contemporary Italy, their practical efficacy is limited by the amount of social and economic support, which until now have been inadequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]