Adultery, honor, ethics, and justice ... oh, and Italy

[Tiassa]

Source: BBC News
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7284134.stm
Title: "Licence to lie for Italian women", by Christian Fraser
Date: March 7, 2008

Apparently, "honor" is more important than ... well ... here:

Italy's highest appeal court has ruled that married Italian women who commit adultery are entitled to lie about it to protect their honour.

The court gave its landmark ruling after hearing the case of a 48-year-old woman, convicted of giving false testimony to police by denying she had lent her mobile phone to her lover.

The appeal court did not agree that she had broken the law.

It said bending the truth was justified to conceal extra-marital relationships.

In a predominantly Catholic country you might expect the courts to take a dim view of lying and adultery.

But not in this case.

(Fraser)

So, the basic story is that Carla apparently lent her lover—Giovanni—her phone. Giovanni called Carla's husband and had a few words with the man. The incident came to trial, and Giovanni was convicted of abusive behavior. Carla was convicted as an accessory.

However, on appeal, the Court of Cassation ruled that having a secret lover was something that could damage a person's honor. Therefore, it was okay to lie about it even in a judicial investigation. There is no word on whether this ruling also applies to men.

The Court of Cassation, which is largely staffed by elderly male appeal judges, has in the past issued a number of controversial judgements.

It once gave a ruling, later rescinded after protests from women's groups, that a woman could not be raped by definition if she was wearing tight jeans, since the jeans could only be removed with her consent.

(ibid)

And then I think of Americans who complain about our judiciary. To the other, imagine how much we time and anguish we could have saved on that whole row about Bill and Monica.