icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
3 Apr, 2019 10:17

Sex with wife is husband’s ‘fundamental human right,’ says British judge, triggering backlash

Sex with wife is husband’s ‘fundamental human right,’ says British judge, triggering backlash

A British judge has invoked the ire of online commentators, activists and politicians after remarking that it was a man’s “fundamental human right” to have sex with his wife during an already controversial court case.

“I cannot think of any more obviously fundamental human right than the right of a man to have sex with his wife… I think he is entitled to have it properly argued,” senior High Court judge Justice Hayden was quoted as saying during a preliminary hearing on a case involving a married couple of 20 years.

The wife has learning difficulties and her condition is deteriorating, prompting social services to raise the alarm about the potential for sexual abuse in the relationship as they felt the woman was no longer able to make decisions about whether she consented to sexual relations. Social services ultimately brought the case to the Court of Protection in London.

Also on rt.com Baby born to woman brain dead since December

The husband has pledged to no longer sleep with his wife but prosecuting lawyers are still pushing for a court order barring sexual relations to prevent the woman from being raped.

The judge’s remarks have sparked a wave of fury and indignation online, sparking widespread discussion regarding consent.

Some were more lighthearted in their approach to the case.

While others reserved judgement until more details were released.

The judge agreed that more information was needed and called for additional evidence to be presented at a later hearing, while also ordering that none of the names in the case be reported in order to protect the identities of all parties involved during the hearing. Spousal sex without consent was explicitly banned in the UK in 1991.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

Podcasts
0:00
24:55
0:00
28:50