X-Message-Number: 579 Date: Sun, 15 Dec 91 11:03:43 PST From: ghsvax! (Hal Finney) Subject: CRYONICS - Legal issues > If we assume that the technology does come into being which will allow > a person to be revived from suspension how would the law deal or be expected > to deal with the issues involved ? Would the person be reborn or would they > simply have their death certificate erased ? Would they have any rights > over "their" property which passed on death, under the probate grant, to > relatives and or friends ? Would the suspended person still be legally > married ? > > ******************************************************* > * Graham Wilson * * > * LL.B. Law Year II * * > ******************************************************* The closest situation I can think of today to a cryonic revival would be a case where a person is missing and presumed dead (lost at sea, or whatever), and a death certificate is finally issued. Then, years later, he shows up. I don't know if this has ever happened outside of fiction (perhaps cases where a person faked his own death to get out of debts or a marriage, and is then discovered years later?). What happens in these cases? I would think the death certificate would have to be cancelled. If the person had debts, perhaps those would now be collectible; but what happens to his assets, which would have by now gone to other people? What if a spouse has re-married? What if the spouse _hasn't_ re-married? These questions must have been dealt with in this context. Does anyone have any information on what happened? Hal Finney ghsvax! Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=579