Civil liability and consequences for breaching the duty of fidelity: a gender issue

Abstract

The recent Supreme Court  decision of November 13th,  2018,  establishes that  the  breach  of the  duty  of fidelity  does  not  generate  compensation for moral  damages, even  in  case of concealment by the  wife  of the  biological  paternity of a child  born  during  the  marriage. This  article  analyses, in  the  first  place,  the  evolution of the  legal consequences of the  duty  of fidelity  from  Roman law  to  the  present,  and  the  unequal treatment suffered by women. Next,  legal regulation is examined and  an  exhaustive analysis of the  judgements issued is carried  out.  As stated  by the  Supreme Court,  it is one of the  most complex and  topical  issues in  the  scientific doctrine and  in  the  jurisprudence of  the  Provincial Courts,  with opposing positions. This  work  concludes with the analysis of the criterion of this  sentence, which is a step towards the non- discrimination of women in  the  breach  of conjugal duties.