Provvedimenti de potestate, sindrome di alienazione genitoriale e best interest of the child

In the judgment dated 26th January 2022, No. 9691, the Italian Court of cassation addressed some of the most relevant issues related to the provisions on parental responsibility. Although concerning a single judicial case and its specific characteristics, this judgment developed a wide spectrum of arguments. Consideration is given not only to legal measures requirements, aimed at protecting children in highly conflicting familiar context, but also to the need for an integrative cooperation between legal practitioners and experts in psychological disciplines. In this judgment, special attention is paid to the scientific reliability of the PAS (Parental Alienation Syndrome), repeatedly invoked as a reason for judicial measures involving children.