Judicial Sloggers in Italy

Gamesmanship at the crease – in the form of sledging – recently came under close scrutiny when Australia found that it could not take it as well as it has traditionally given it. 

Now, gamesmanship before the law – in the form of lying – is receiving similar attention after the Court of Cassation in Italy ruled that it is acceptable for a woman to lie about having an affair in order to protect her honour. The full story is at BBC On-Line here.

You might have thought that in having an affair, the woman had laid aside her honour, but the judges disagreed. How has this come about? Well, Italy may be the Catholic heart of Europe, but she is also the country of the bella figura where giving a good impression of oneself is regarded as being not just a good thing to do but necessary. Perhaps this blinded the judges to the implications of their ruling.

Or, it may be that these judges are, well, a bit mad, for as the BBC article points out, they are they same judges who once said that a woman who wore tight jeans could not be raped as they could only be removed with her consent.

Whatever the truth of the matter, let’s just hope that the cuckold never asks the judge why he is so fat…