Governor Kathy Hochul repealed the law that established up to three years in prison for those guilty. The rule had been in force since 1907 and was currently considered a symbol of regression and invasion of privacy.
Between debates about the morality and ethics of relationships, New York decided to review the past to progress and move forward with the elimination of a lawfrom more than a century ago, which penalized infidelity considering it a crime.
The governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill on Friday that repeals the statute that penalized adultery, in force since 1907putting an end to a rule that he described as “outdated“.
This law established penalties of up to three months in prison for those guilty of adultery, and of late it had been very questioned due to its low effectiveness, low application in practice and a very conservative symbol for the time.
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Hochul emphasized that the norm belongs to the past and does not refer to freedom of current times: “These situations must be resolved in the personal sphere, not in court“The decision not only had an impact on the legal side, but also on the right to privacy of people to manage their intimate life as they consider it.
The decriminalization of the adultery in New York does not mean that infidelity is legal and socially accepted, but that the State already will not get involved in the criminal monitoring of people who are unfaithful.
When the law arose and with what objectives
The law against adultery in New Yorkwhich the rule defined as “having sexual relations with someone while one or the other person had a living spouse,” has been in force since 1907 and for more than a century, its application was extremely limited.
He main objective was strengthen the bond in couples and marriages, characteristic ideals of the time, and serve as a resource and legal tool facing divorce proceedings.
With the passage of time, the standard lost weight and relevance and was considered a recoil in the legal framework of New York, which wants to promote a modernization of the system. From 1970only a dozen of people faced charges under this law and only five of those cases resulted in guilty pleas.
Source: Ambito
