“New Human Rights” and the Ban on Sexual Intercourse between Relatives. Legal Contemplation

Abstract

The classic conception of human rights, expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights signed in Paris on December 10, 1948, has been receiving attempts at reinterpretation in the recent 50 years. The appearance of the concept of “new human rights” in the public sphere serves as an example here. However, the scope of the term “new rights” and the precise meaning of “reproductive and sexual rights” are not entirely known. The change in perception of human sexuality, the affirmation of sexual liberation, and the acceptance of violating social taboo in the name of the “new human rights” invites reflection on how the concept of sexual rights relates to the ban on sexual contacts between relatives. Does a ban on incest lose its rationale in modern times, and does the penalisation of such acts constitute merely anachronistic oppression? Are the currently enforced normative solutions clear and free of questions and controversy in this matter? Lastly, one is compelled to inquire whether sexual contacts between relatives are perhaps already among the “new human rights.” The present article endeavours to answer these questions.