Beginning of legal personality

Legal personality is the capacity to be a subject of rights and duties. In Swiss civil law, a human being acquires legal personality at live birth. Before birth, the conceived child may receive conditional protection, especially for inheritance or compensation matters, if later born alive. This approach separates full legal subjecthood from prenatal interests that the law may protect. Questions concerning embryos, reproductive medicine or pregnancy involve additional public-law, medical and ethical rules beyond general civil personality.