The controversial Italian law on assisted reproduction techniques (BMJ 2004;328:9, doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7430.9-a) has been amended in part by Italy’s Constitutional Court, which has reaffirmed that the health of the woman must prevail over other considerations.

The court published an outline ruling saying that parts of the current law were contrary to constitutional principles. In particular it ruled as unconstitutional the stipulation that a maximum of three eggs could be fertilised at one time and the obligation that all fertilised eggs had to be transferred back to the womb at the same time.

The details of the decision will be published in a few weeks. Meanwhile many members of the centre right coalition government have …