Lähisukulaissuhteita

Lähisukulaissuhteita refers to close family relationships that exist by blood or strong social bonds. In Finnish law the term is used primarily to describe relations that are restricted for marriage or certain legal actions. The category typically covers parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in some contexts extended relations that are within two leaps of the family tree. Lähisukulaisuutta (consanguinity) is differentiated from allukesisuus, which denotes marriage or union-based relations such as spouses and their in-law connections.

The legal prohibition of marriage between close relatives is rooted in the Prevention of Prohibited Marriages Act (Estat. 2009) and similar statutes that aim to prevent genetic risk and to uphold social norms of family cohesion. These statutes explicitly list the relatives who are prohibited from marrying. For instance, any person who shares a parent or grandparent with another person is barred from legal union.

Beyond legal restrictions, the concept of lähisukulaissuhteita is also used in societal contexts such as inheritance, guardianship, and adoption. In public health, awareness of close kinship is important for traceability in genetic disorders and birth control planning. The term reflects both biological ties and the cultural expectations of familial responsibility.