Judicial systems in our societies have developed over the centuries to mediate and settle various disputes in a peaceful and mutually accepted manner. In fact, our courts have come such along way, since the days of vigilante justice, that they adjudicate even on the most trivial, and in many instances the most bizarre matters. We could say they have become a ‘lawyer’s paradise’, to turn the known expression ‘devil’s advocate’ on its head.

This might be an old instance of how crazy a court case can be, but it is worth a reminder just for the laughs. It happened in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when Peter Willis decided to take his partner, Kellie Smith to court for becoming pregnant without his consent.

The hilarity of the case becomes apparent when the lawyers of the two former partners tried to present their client’s side of the story to the judge. Walli’s lawyer tried to convince the bench that fraud had been committed against him, because his partner had promised him she was on the pill. The lawyer claimed there was a breach of contract for ‘intentionally acquiring and misusing his sperm’!

Ms Smith’s lawyer argued she could not have “stolen” Mr Wallis’ sperm, because he “surrendered any right of possession… when he transferred it… during voluntary sexual intercourse”. The sperm was, in fact, “a gift”.  The court finally dismissed the case….There might some sanity in the world after all…