Law of Persons 144
Notes adapted from lectures, textbook
and case summaries
Hamida Mookrey
,Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION & CONCEPTS ............................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL SUBJECTIVITY ...................................................................... 4
BIRTH ............................................................................................................................................. 4
INTEREST OF THE UNBORN .............................................................................................................. 4
NASCITURIS FICTION: .................................................................................................................................. 4
THE NASCITURIS AND DELICT ........................................................................................................................ 5
OTHER MEASURES OF PROTECTION OF THE UNBORN: ....................................................................................... 6
TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY ......................................................................................................... 6
CHOICE ON TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY ACT .............................................................................................. 6
TERMINATION OF LEGAL SUBJECTIVITY......................................................................... 7
WHEN DOES LEGAL SUBJECTIVITY END? ......................................................................................................... 7
PROOF OF DEATH: ...................................................................................................................................... 7
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES: ............................................................................................................................... 8
PRESUMPTION OF DEATH: ................................................................................................................ 8
COMMON LAW: ......................................................................................................................................... 8
STATUTORY PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................................. 9
COMMORIENTES ............................................................................................................................ 10
AGE AS A STATUS DETERMINING FACTOR .................................................................... 10
INFANS ......................................................................................................................................... 11
CAPACITY TO ACT ..................................................................................................................................... 11
CAPACITY TO LITIGATE (ALONE) .................................................................................................................. 12
DELICTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY ...................................................................................................................... 12
MINOR .......................................................................................................................................... 12
LEGAL CAPACITY ....................................................................................................................................... 12
CAPACITY TO ACT ..................................................................................................................................... 12
CAPACITY TO INCUR DELICTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY ............................................................................................ 17
TERMINATION OF MAJORITY ....................................................................................................................... 17
BIRTH AS A STATUS DETERMINING FACTOR ................................................................ 18
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AND THE BEST INTEREST OF A CHILD .............................................................. 18
PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES .................................................................................... 19
PROOF OF PARENTAGE................................................................................................................... 21
ACQUISITION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................................... 22
TERMINATION, EXTENSION, SUSPENSION OR RESTRICTION OF PRR ................................................. 25
SEX & GENDER ......................................................................................................................... 26
1
,INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 26
SEX AND GENDER .......................................................................................................................... 26
DOMICILE ................................................................................................................................. 27
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 27
RELEVANCE ................................................................................................................................... 28
ESTABLISHING DOMICILE .............................................................................................................. 29
OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING STATUS ............................................................................. 31
MENTAL ILLNESS (INCAPACITY) ..................................................................................................... 31
CURATORSHIP:.............................................................................................................................. 34
2
, Introduction & Concepts
• The law of persons is the objective law which regulates the coming into existence,
private law status, the ending of a natural person (death) as a legal subject.
o objective law is natural law
o the objective law determines the content and limits of every subjective right
• A legal subject is someone who is/ can be the bearer of rights, duties and capacities
o can be either a natural person (human) or juristic person (company)
• Subjective rights is the legal network of legal relationships that exist between legal
subjects and/or objects; includes:
Legal object Subjective right Example
You possess ownership of a thing.
Things (car,
The right you have over your sunglasses,
phone, Real Right
it is enforceable against the world
sunglasses)
because no one else can take it from you.
Performance Can claim performance in respect of a
(eg contractual obligation.
Personal right
contractual Enforceable against the person who
performance) owes you performance only.
Intellectual Intellectual property
Copyright
property right
Personality
Personality right The right to a good reputation
property
• Status refers to the standing in terms of the law - the sum total of a legal subject's
juridical concepts; includes:
o legal capacity
§ the capacity to have rights and duties & hold office
o capacity to act
§ perform legal intercourse/ perform a valid juristic act
§ a juristic act is a human act to which the law attaches consequences
desired by parties performing the act
o capacity to litigate
§ capacity to be party to a civil claim
§ act as a plaintiff or defendant / applicant or respondent
o accountability
§ to distinguish between right and wrong and act according to such
distinction
§ (it is debatable whether this aspect should be included)
• Every legal subject has legal capacity and can participate in legal intercourse; it is up
to their status to determine the manner and extent of such participation
• Important Constitutional sections:
3
Notes adapted from lectures, textbook
and case summaries
Hamida Mookrey
,Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION & CONCEPTS ............................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL SUBJECTIVITY ...................................................................... 4
BIRTH ............................................................................................................................................. 4
INTEREST OF THE UNBORN .............................................................................................................. 4
NASCITURIS FICTION: .................................................................................................................................. 4
THE NASCITURIS AND DELICT ........................................................................................................................ 5
OTHER MEASURES OF PROTECTION OF THE UNBORN: ....................................................................................... 6
TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY ......................................................................................................... 6
CHOICE ON TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY ACT .............................................................................................. 6
TERMINATION OF LEGAL SUBJECTIVITY......................................................................... 7
WHEN DOES LEGAL SUBJECTIVITY END? ......................................................................................................... 7
PROOF OF DEATH: ...................................................................................................................................... 7
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES: ............................................................................................................................... 8
PRESUMPTION OF DEATH: ................................................................................................................ 8
COMMON LAW: ......................................................................................................................................... 8
STATUTORY PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................................. 9
COMMORIENTES ............................................................................................................................ 10
AGE AS A STATUS DETERMINING FACTOR .................................................................... 10
INFANS ......................................................................................................................................... 11
CAPACITY TO ACT ..................................................................................................................................... 11
CAPACITY TO LITIGATE (ALONE) .................................................................................................................. 12
DELICTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY ...................................................................................................................... 12
MINOR .......................................................................................................................................... 12
LEGAL CAPACITY ....................................................................................................................................... 12
CAPACITY TO ACT ..................................................................................................................................... 12
CAPACITY TO INCUR DELICTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY ............................................................................................ 17
TERMINATION OF MAJORITY ....................................................................................................................... 17
BIRTH AS A STATUS DETERMINING FACTOR ................................................................ 18
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AND THE BEST INTEREST OF A CHILD .............................................................. 18
PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES .................................................................................... 19
PROOF OF PARENTAGE................................................................................................................... 21
ACQUISITION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................................... 22
TERMINATION, EXTENSION, SUSPENSION OR RESTRICTION OF PRR ................................................. 25
SEX & GENDER ......................................................................................................................... 26
1
,INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 26
SEX AND GENDER .......................................................................................................................... 26
DOMICILE ................................................................................................................................. 27
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 27
RELEVANCE ................................................................................................................................... 28
ESTABLISHING DOMICILE .............................................................................................................. 29
OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING STATUS ............................................................................. 31
MENTAL ILLNESS (INCAPACITY) ..................................................................................................... 31
CURATORSHIP:.............................................................................................................................. 34
2
, Introduction & Concepts
• The law of persons is the objective law which regulates the coming into existence,
private law status, the ending of a natural person (death) as a legal subject.
o objective law is natural law
o the objective law determines the content and limits of every subjective right
• A legal subject is someone who is/ can be the bearer of rights, duties and capacities
o can be either a natural person (human) or juristic person (company)
• Subjective rights is the legal network of legal relationships that exist between legal
subjects and/or objects; includes:
Legal object Subjective right Example
You possess ownership of a thing.
Things (car,
The right you have over your sunglasses,
phone, Real Right
it is enforceable against the world
sunglasses)
because no one else can take it from you.
Performance Can claim performance in respect of a
(eg contractual obligation.
Personal right
contractual Enforceable against the person who
performance) owes you performance only.
Intellectual Intellectual property
Copyright
property right
Personality
Personality right The right to a good reputation
property
• Status refers to the standing in terms of the law - the sum total of a legal subject's
juridical concepts; includes:
o legal capacity
§ the capacity to have rights and duties & hold office
o capacity to act
§ perform legal intercourse/ perform a valid juristic act
§ a juristic act is a human act to which the law attaches consequences
desired by parties performing the act
o capacity to litigate
§ capacity to be party to a civil claim
§ act as a plaintiff or defendant / applicant or respondent
o accountability
§ to distinguish between right and wrong and act according to such
distinction
§ (it is debatable whether this aspect should be included)
• Every legal subject has legal capacity and can participate in legal intercourse; it is up
to their status to determine the manner and extent of such participation
• Important Constitutional sections:
3
