An Athens court has upheld the right of individuals to legally alter their name and gender status without having undergone sex reassignment surgery.

The ruling came after a judicial request tabled by a transgender man in April 2015 asking the court to approve a new name and gender status. The individual was receiving hormone therapy, but had not undergone genital surgery.

The court took into consideration a serious workplace discrimination incident whereby the individual was allegedly excluded from professional training.

Judges said that considering surgery a precondition for gender identity change runs against Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which states that “everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.”