Posthumous Justice: A Socio-Legal Interpretation of Rights of The Dead

Harigovind  P. C.; Rakesh P. S.

doi:10.15294/jllr.v6i1.15929

Authors

Harigovind P. C. School of Legal Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, India Author
Rakesh P. S. School of Legal Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, India Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15294/jllr.v6i1.15929

Keywords:

Personhood, Dead person, Privacy, Relational Interest, Posthumous Justice

Abstract

Rights have always been regarded as a subject matter of personhood. At the same time, the understanding of personhood has extended beyond the limit of living human beings. Today, the world has witnessed the transgression of the concept to non-human and even artificial entities. The core value of such recognition is to confer rights and thereby ensure their legitimate protection. To this conundrum comes a dead body, especially that of a human being. This paper attempts to delve into the aspects of personhood, the rights of the dead and the need of positive state action for protecting a person's dignity even after the end of their natural life. The discussion examines these aspects in the wake of various actions performed on the dead, which would otherwise be deemed offensive if the person was alive.

Author Biography

Harigovind P. C., School of Legal Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, India

Assistant Professor, School of Legal Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala

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