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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2009
Legitimacy constitutes an important aspect of Nigerian law. It has the strongest link with the allied question of succession. Most disputes as to legitimacy arise in relation to the right to succeed to property either testate or intestate. Consequently, although this paper does not deal with the detailed rules of succession we shall make several references to those rules.
2 Cap. 115, Laws of Nigeria (1958 edn.).
3 Hyde v. Hyde (1866), L.R. 1 P.D. 130, at p. 133, per Lord Penzance.
4 Cap. 103, 1929.
5 Section 2.
6 Section 5 (1).
7 Cf. Administration of Estates Law (Western Region), W. R. Law No. 23 of 1959, s. 49, subjects only the estate of an intestate deceased who was married under the Marriage Act to the rules of English law. The issue of such a marriage is not included.
8 (1898), 1 N.L.R. 15.
9 (1945), 18 N.L.R. 1; see also Coker v. Coker (1943), 17 N.L.R. 55.
10 Oluremi v. Johnson, 13 N.L.R. 13; Bamgbose v. Daniel, [1955] A.C. 107.
11 In the Western Region, the rules of distribution are contained in the Administration of Estates Law, W.R. Law No. 23 of 1959.
12 (1941), 7 W.A.C.A. 156.
13 (1943), 17 N.L.R. 55.
14 Re Goodman's Trust (1881), 17 Ch.D. 266; Sinha Peerage Case, [1946] 1 All E.R. 340. Baindail v. Baindail, [1946] 1 All E.R. 342.
15 See Re Herbert Macaulay (1951), 13 W.A.C.A. 304.
16 Ibid.
17 See p. 93, note 14, above.
18 [1955] A.C. 107.
19 (1961), All N.L.R. Part II, 245.
20 Coker, Family property among the Yorubas (1958).
page 95 note 1 Obi, The Ibo law of Property (1963), 190.
page 95 note 2 Suit No. N/3/64 High Court of Lagos, (unreported).
page 96 note 3 Eshugbayi Eleko v. Govt. of Nigeria, [1931] A.C. 662, at p. 673, per Lord Atkin.
page 96 note 4 13 W.A.C.A. 304.
page 96 note 5 Supra, p. 94.
page 96 note 6 Suit No. AG. 68.
page 96 note 7 See also Savage v. Macfoy (1909), Ren. 504, at p. 508 (Gold Coast).
page 97 note 8 (1958), W.R. N.L.R. 195.
page 97 note 9 The same definition is contained in the Fatal Accidents Acts, 1864.
page 98 note 10 Dickinson v. N.E. Railway Company (1863), 9 L.T. 299. In England, illegitimate children were included in the class of dependants by the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1934, s. 2 (1). The same position was achieved in Lagos by the Fatal Accidents Act, 1961, s. 2 (2) and Western Region by the Torts Law,1958, s. 5.
page 98 note 11 (1958), W.R.N.L.R. 195, at p. 197.
page 98 note 12 [1955] A.C. 107: see p. 94, above.
page 99 note 13 (1960), L.L.R. 286.
page 100 note 14 (1957), II E.R.L.R., 1.
page 100 note 15 Cole v. Akinyele (1960), 5 F.S.C., 84.
page 101 note 16 Ibid., at p. 88.
page 101 note 17 Abisogun v. Abisogun, F.S.C. 102/1962, (unreported); Williams v. Williams, N/112/1963 H.C.L. (unreported).
page 101 note 18 Richardson v. Mellish (1824), 130 E.R. 294, at p. 303; James v. Drienfontein Mines, [1902] A.C. 484, at p. 491; Fender v. Mildmqy, [1938] A.C. 1, at pp. 23, 39, 40. Paton, Jurisprudence (2nd edn., 1951), 112–114; Dias & Hughes, Jurisprudence (1957), 173–179.
page 102 note 19 Smith v. Smith, 5 N.L.R. 105, at p. 107.
page 103 note 20 Federal Supreme Court 102/62 (unreported).
page 103 note 1 (1942), 8 W.A.C.A. 108.
page 103 note 2 (1955). 15 W.A.C.A. 20.
page 104 note 3 Suit No. 400/1951 consolidated with suit No. 4289 (unreported).
page 104 note 4 Suit No. 400/1951 (unreported).
page 104 note 5 (1955), 15 W.A.C.A. 20, at p. 21.
