Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Från pater till pappa - En rättshistorisk uppsats om fastställande av faderskap

Salas Ramos, Jessiret LU (2025) JURM02 20252
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The establishment of paternity has historically been of great significance in Sweden and has been decisive for children’s legal and social status. For a long time, a clear distinction was made between children born within and outside of marriage, where children born outside of marriage had limited rights. Sexual relations outside of marriage were long criminalized, and the lingering stigma also came to influence the legislation on the determination of paternity. This thesis examines the historical development of rules on the establishment of paternity, the motives behind the paternity presumption, and how past norms and values relate to today’s views on family and parenthood. Against this background, a legal historical method is applied to... (More)
The establishment of paternity has historically been of great significance in Sweden and has been decisive for children’s legal and social status. For a long time, a clear distinction was made between children born within and outside of marriage, where children born outside of marriage had limited rights. Sexual relations outside of marriage were long criminalized, and the lingering stigma also came to influence the legislation on the determination of paternity. This thesis examines the historical development of rules on the establishment of paternity, the motives behind the paternity presumption, and how past norms and values relate to today’s views on family and parenthood. Against this background, a legal historical method is applied to answer the questions posed in the thesis.
The paternity presumption was legislated in Sweden in 1917 and states that a man who is married to the mother is presumed to be the child’s father. In the early 20th century, there were no reliable medical methods to establish biological paternity, so determination often relied on circumstantial evidence and the mother’s statements. This led to significant problems, including that men in practice had very limited opportunities to disprove paternity. At the same time, children born out of wedlock, despite established paternity, were not granted the same rights as children born within marriage, such as inheritance rights. During the 20th century, medical advances enabled more reliable paternity investigations using blood group testing. However, these tests were mainly used to exclude rather than establish paternity, and circumstantial evidence continued to be given high probative value. Legislation developed gradually, and today there is no legal difference between children born within or outside of marriage. In 2022, a series of changes were introduced, among these a new parenthood presumption.
The essay also highlights how today’s family law regulations are based on a two-person norm, raising questions about how rules such as the paternity presumption can be applied in relation to new family constellations, like po-lygamous relationships. The analysis shows that rules on the establishment of paternity have historically been shaped by the strong position of marriage and by social and religious norms. The paternity presumption was introduced to protect children and mothers, but meant very limited opportunities to question established paternity. For children born outside of wedlock, regulation developed slowly, but medical advances contributed to increased legal certainty and a strengthened child perspective. Although children today are legally equal, differences remain in how paternity is established. This raises the question of the function of the paternity presumption in a society characterized by new family constellations and the declining importance of marriage. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Fastställande av faderskap har historiskt haft stor betydelse i Sverige och varit avgörande för barns rättsliga och sociala ställning. Under lång tid gjordes en tydlig åtskillnad mellan barn födda inom och utom äktenskap, där barn utom äktenskap hade begränsade rättigheter. Sexuella relationer utom äktenskap var länge kriminaliserade och det kvarlevande stigmat kom även att prägla lagstiftningen om fastställande av faderskap. Uppsatsen behandlar den historiska utvecklingen av regler om fastställande av faderskap, motiven bakom faderskapspresumtionen samt hur dåtidens normer och värderingar förhåller sig till dagens syn på familj och föräldraskap. Mot denna bakgrund tillämpas en rättshistorisk metod för att besvara uppsatsens... (More)
Fastställande av faderskap har historiskt haft stor betydelse i Sverige och varit avgörande för barns rättsliga och sociala ställning. Under lång tid gjordes en tydlig åtskillnad mellan barn födda inom och utom äktenskap, där barn utom äktenskap hade begränsade rättigheter. Sexuella relationer utom äktenskap var länge kriminaliserade och det kvarlevande stigmat kom även att prägla lagstiftningen om fastställande av faderskap. Uppsatsen behandlar den historiska utvecklingen av regler om fastställande av faderskap, motiven bakom faderskapspresumtionen samt hur dåtidens normer och värderingar förhåller sig till dagens syn på familj och föräldraskap. Mot denna bakgrund tillämpas en rättshistorisk metod för att besvara uppsatsens frågeställningar.
Faderskapspresumtionen lagstadgades i Sverige år 1917 och innebär att en man som är gift med modern presumeras vara barnets far. Under det tidiga 1900-talet saknades tillförlitliga medicinska metoder för att fastställa biologiskt faderskap, vilket innebar att fastställandet ofta byggde på indicier och moderns uppgifter. Detta medförde betydande problem, bland annat att män i praktiken hade mycket begränsade möjligheter att motbevisa ett faderskap. Samtidigt tillerkändes barn födda utom äktenskap, trots fastställt faderskap, inte samma rättigheter som barn födda inom äktenskap, exempelvis avseende arvsrätt. Under 1900-talet möjliggjorde den medicinska utvecklingen, säkrare faderskapsutredningar, genom tillämpningen av blodgruppsundersökningar. Dessa undersökningar användes dock främst för att utesluta, snarare än att fastställa faderskap och indiciebevisningen tillmättes fortsatt högt bevisvärde. Lagstiftningen utvecklades succesivt och någon rättlig skillnad mellan barn födda inom eller utom äktenskap finns idag inte. År 2022 infördes en rad för-ändringar, bland dessa, en ny föräldraskapspresumtionen.
Uppsatsen belyser även hur dagens familjerättsliga regler utgår från en tvåsamhetsnorm, vilket aktualiserar frågor om hur regler som faderskapspresumtionen kan tillämpas i förhållande till nya familjekonstellationer, såsom polygama relationer. Analysen visar att regler om fastställande av faderskap historiskt har präglats av äktenskapets starka ställning samt av sociala och religiösa normer. Faderskapspresumtionen infördes för att skydda barn och mödrar, men innebar samtidigt mycket begränsade möjligheter att ifrågasätta ett fastställt faderskap. För barn födda utom äktenskap utvecklades regleringen långsamt, men medicinska framsteg bidrog till ökad rättssäkerhet och ett stärkt barnperspektiv. Trots att barn idag är rättsligt jämlika kvarstår skillnader i hur faderskap fastställs. Detta aktualiserar frågan om faderskapspresumtionens funktion i ett samhälle präglat av nya familjekonstellationer och minskad betydelse av äktenskapet. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Salas Ramos, Jessiret LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
From pater to father - A legal history essay on the determination of paternity
course
JURM02 20252
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Rättshistoria, Legal history, Föräldraskap, Parenthood, Faderskap, Paternity, Faderskapspresumtion, Familjerätt
language
Swedish
id
9216953
date added to LUP
2026-01-26 13:56:30
date last changed
2026-01-26 13:56:30
@misc{9216953,
  abstract     = {{The establishment of paternity has historically been of great significance in Sweden and has been decisive for children’s legal and social status. For a long time, a clear distinction was made between children born within and outside of marriage, where children born outside of marriage had limited rights. Sexual relations outside of marriage were long criminalized, and the lingering stigma also came to influence the legislation on the determination of paternity. This thesis examines the historical development of rules on the establishment of paternity, the motives behind the paternity presumption, and how past norms and values relate to today’s views on family and parenthood. Against this background, a legal historical method is applied to answer the questions posed in the thesis. 
The paternity presumption was legislated in Sweden in 1917 and states that a man who is married to the mother is presumed to be the child’s father. In the early 20th century, there were no reliable medical methods to establish biological paternity, so determination often relied on circumstantial evidence and the mother’s statements. This led to significant problems, including that men in practice had very limited opportunities to disprove paternity. At the same time, children born out of wedlock, despite established paternity, were not granted the same rights as children born within marriage, such as inheritance rights. During the 20th century, medical advances enabled more reliable paternity investigations using blood group testing. However, these tests were mainly used to exclude rather than establish paternity, and circumstantial evidence continued to be given high probative value. Legislation developed gradually, and today there is no legal difference between children born within or outside of marriage. In 2022, a series of changes were introduced, among these a new parenthood presumption.
The essay also highlights how today’s family law regulations are based on a two-person norm, raising questions about how rules such as the paternity presumption can be applied in relation to new family constellations, like po-lygamous relationships. The analysis shows that rules on the establishment of paternity have historically been shaped by the strong position of marriage and by social and religious norms. The paternity presumption was introduced to protect children and mothers, but meant very limited opportunities to question established paternity. For children born outside of wedlock, regulation developed slowly, but medical advances contributed to increased legal certainty and a strengthened child perspective. Although children today are legally equal, differences remain in how paternity is established. This raises the question of the function of the paternity presumption in a society characterized by new family constellations and the declining importance of marriage.}},
  author       = {{Salas Ramos, Jessiret}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Från pater till pappa - En rättshistorisk uppsats om fastställande av faderskap}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}