University of Baltimore Law Review Volume 10 Article 8 Issue 1 Fall 1980 1980 Casenotes: Torts — Family Law — Criminal Conversation — Judicial Abrogation of the Civil Action for Adultery. Kline v. Ansell, 287 Md. 585, 414 A.2d 929 (1980) Sherry Hamburg Flax University of Baltimore School of Law Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/ublr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Flax, Sherry Hamburg (1980) "Casenotes: Torts — Family Law — Criminal Conversation — Judicial Abrogation of the Civil Action for Adultery. Kline v. Ansell, 287 Md. 585, 414 A.2d 929 (1980)," University of Baltimore Law Review: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 8. Available at: http://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/ublr/vol10/iss1/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@University of Baltimore School of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Baltimore Law Review by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@University of Baltimore School of Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. TORTS - FAMILY LAW - CRIMINAL CONVERSATION - JUDICIAL ABROGATION OF THE CIVIL" ACTION FOR ADULTERY. KLINE v. ANSELL, 287 Md. 585, 414 A.2d 929 (1980) . I. INTRODUCTION In Kline v. Ansel~ 1 the Court of Appeals of Maryland abolished the common law cause of action for criminal conversation. Prior to the Kline decision, a husband was afforded a remedy against his wife's paramour for being the partner in her adulterous acts.2 The court has now reversed its position due to the anachronistic policy underlying this tort,3 its incompatibility with today's sense of per sonal and sexual freedom of women,4 and its inherent violation of Maryland's Equal Rights Amendment.