Rights of the Conjoined Twin

[Zinkovich]

For reference, here are the twins I am using as an example: YouTube - Two-headed Girl

They have two drivers licenses, yet take the same test in classes.

As for body parts, they have(from wikipedia):

Most of Abigail and Brittany's shared organs lie below the waist line. * 2 heads * 2 arms -- originally 3, but the short malformed central arm was removed * 2 spinal cords and backbones which merge at the pelvis -- surgery corrected scoliosis * 3½ lungs -- surgery expanded their chest cavity * 2 breasts * 2 hearts in a shared circulatory system -- medicine taken by either affects both * 1 liver * 2 stomachs * 3 kidneys * 2 gallbladders * 1 bladder * 1 ribcage * 1 large intestine * 1 female reproductive system

...yes, they can have sex/children, for all of you who were wondering, as well. One controls one side of the body, while the other side controls the other- so eahc of them have an arm and a leg, I guess(no, I don't know how they even walk or drive well, unfortunately).

That said, the issue of conjoined personalities attached to a single body brings up some interesting rights issues. For example:

-If one side commits crime a with intent, does the other hold liability as well? Would it be unjust to imprison them both?

-What about marraige? Is it considered pologamy if they marry the same person out of convenience/realism/uninque circumstance? If both get married, should they both get the individual tax benefits as if they were two married individuals? And children- who should be signed as the "mother" in birth certificates?

-Since they share one reproductive system, who has the rights to what happens to the child if they were to differ sharply on what to do with it? Who has "custody"? If one wants to adopt/abort, and the other doesn't, which option should be opted for?

-The meds one takes affects the other. Ths could bring up all sorts of issues- if they get a DUI and only one side truly ingested the alcohol(note: they share chemical effects, so both would still be "drunk"), should they recieve only one or two fines?

I'm sure you guys have some answers, and probably some other possible conundrums to bring up for discussion, so I'll just leave it at that for now- although I've barely covered the societal aspects I think would make for interesting discussion as well.

[Kamehameha34]

I'm not sure if one of them could accomplish much without the consent of the other.

[nkariem]

ive wondered about the above before..
im sure everything they decide upon in life, is discussed beforehand.
Even everyday activities, because they have to be done together.

I would assume that the relationship they have with each other is very different to regular sibling relationships. Unique, something we cannot relate to.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Zinkovich -If one side commits crime a with intent, does the other hold liability as well? Would it be unjust to imprison them both?

With the way most twins interact with one another, and the fact that these two are joined as in one body, not only would they have some difficulty trying to prove who did what, but chances are the twin would want to be in prison with the other. Many twins have difficulties trying to cope when seperated from their twin (Depending on the connection) Since they're sharing the same body, both would probably end up in jail in this case.

-What about marraige? Is it considered pologamy if they marry the same person out of convenience/realism/uninque circumstance? If both get married, should they both get the individual tax benefits as if they were two married individuals? And children- who should be signed as the "mother" in birth certificates?

Chances are, they would probably be both considdered the mothers. The marriage would be a gray area. Two different persons, but both sharing one body. When you are being married, you are marrying one person, body and soul. Since there is one body but two minds, the laws could easily flex for them to what they would prefer. This is a unique situation where the common laws may not be able to apply.

-Since they share one reproductive system, who has the rights to what happens to the child if they were to differ sharply on what to do with it? Who has "custody"? If one wants to adopt/abort, and the other doesn't, which option should be opted for?

This would be up to the both of them, and nobody in our position can come up with a decent solution to this problem. Most conjoined twins usually share the same beliefs, likes and dislikes, and chances are, these decisions wouldn't take long for them to figure out. Who decides to keep the child or not, depends on the individual mind who had sex with the man they were with.

-The meds one takes affects the other. Ths could bring up all sorts of issues- if they get a DUI and only one side truly ingested the alcohol(note: they share chemical effects, so both would still be "drunk"), should they recieve only one or two fines?

Only one person can drive a car, and in that case, both would be intoxicated, so whoever steps up to take the blame would be charged..... and since both would end up in jail, it really wouldn't matter who took the blame. One's decisions in life will have an equal effect on the other, and vice versa and so they have to accept that, and they probably already have.

Their lives are unique and most situations will be delt with differently then most people. In most of their decision makings, it'd be pretty much a second opinion on almost everything they do. Since it is both their body, they have to live with decisions that they both agree to.

I haven't watched the entire clip yet, since I am at work, but I have seen other twins in similar situations and they've all had to live with balance and equal decision making.

[Osborn F Enready]

One could not perform action without conscent from the other.

They should be held liable as such.