Compensation of the Fetus for Reflected Damage (A Comparative Study)

Main Article Content

Hussam Hadi Mullah
Muthanna Abdel Kazem Mashaf

Abstract

This study addresses the issue of whether a fetus is entitled to compensation for reflexive (or consequential) harm—namely, harm that materializes after birth in the form of either moral damage (such as grief resulting from the loss of a parent) or material damage (such as the loss of a financial provider). The findings indicate that comparative legal systems do not explicitly recognize this right; however, it may be justified based on general legal principles, and a significant body of legal scholarship supports the notion.From a jurisprudential standpoint, the French Court of Cassation has upheld the fetus’s right to such compensation, while Egyptian jurisprudence remains divided on the matter. In Iraq, although rulings are rare, a number of decisions have affirmed the fetus’s right to compensation for reflexive harm. Similar rulings have also been observed in the courts of other Arab countries.Accordingly, the study recommends amending relevant Iraqi legislation to allow compensation for reflexive harm suffered by the fetus and urges the Iraqi judiciary to adopt a consistent and settled position that affirms this right

Article Details

How to Cite
Hadi Mullah ح. ., & Abdel Kazem Mashaf م. . (2026). Compensation of the Fetus for Reflected Damage (A Comparative Study). MIsan Journal of Comparative Legal Studies, 14(1-2), 93–122. Retrieved from https://uomisan.edu.iq/law/mjcls/index.php/mjcls/article/view/526
Section
Articles

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