https://www.scribd.

com/doc/19611369/Law-of-Persons-Notes
LawofPersons
Thelawofpersonsisthatpartofprivatelawwhich
1.determineswhichentitiesarelegalsubjects,
2.whenlegalpersonalitybeginsandends,
3.whatlegalstatusinvolves(differentclassesoflegalsubjects)
4.andwhateffectvariousfactorshaveonapersonslegalstatus(legal
statusofeachclass).
Inrespectofrights,weareconcernedwithadualrelationship:
i.
Subjectsubject
relationshiparightandcorrespondingobligations
ii.
Subjectobject
relationshipbeareroftherightandtheobjectofhisright.
Legalsubjectsandlegalobjects
Inthefieldoflaw,thereisadifferencebetweenlegalsubjects(
personaiuris
)andlegal
objects.Legalsubjectsarepeoplerecognizedbylawashavingrights,dutiesand
capacities
bestoweduponthem.Thelawthengrantslegalpersonalityonsuchsubjects.Whereas
legal
objectsareentitiesthathaveeconomicvalueandwhichthelaw
hasnotbestowedthe
capacitytohaverights,dutiesandcapacities.Legalobjectscanthereforenotpartakein
legal
andcommercialtransactions


consequences.Themostsignificantattributeswhichdetermine
apersonsstatursare:
Domicile,extramaritalbirth,youth,physicalillnessor

incapacity,mentalillnessor
incapacity,intoxication,prodigalityandinsolvency.
LegalCapacity
Legalcapacityisthecapacitytohaverightsandduties.Allhumanbeingshavethis
capacity.
Distinctionbetweenthecapacitytohaverightsandduties,andtheparticularrightsand
duties
thataspecificpersonhasataspecifictime.Eg:Childrenbelowacertain
agecannotmarry.
Theyhavelimitedlegalcapacity.Theirstatusmaydifferfromthatofa
personwhomay
marry.
CapacitytoAct
Capacitytoactreferstothecapacitytoperformvalidjuristicacts.A
juristicactattachesat
leastsomeoftheconsequences.Itisclearthatenteringinto
legaltransactioncanhave
implications,thereforethepersonmusthaveachieveda
certainlevelofintellectual
developmentbeforethelawconferscapacitytoactonhim.Peopleunder
theageof21are
considerednottohavethenecessarymaturityofjudgmentandmust
thereforebeprotected
bythelaw.
CapacitytoLitigate
Capacitytolitigateisthecapacitytoappearincourtasapartytoalawsuit.
Capacitytobeheldaccountable
Capacitytobeheldaccountableforcrimesanddelicts.Thiscapacityisgreatlyinfluenced
by
apersonsage,mentalconditions,intent(
dolus
),negligence(
culpa
).Thepersonmustbe
doli
capax
or
culpacapax
.Ifsomeoneistooyoung,thenshecannotbeheldaccountableforthe
actsshehascommitted.
Domicile
Domicileistheplacewhereapersonislegallydeemedtobe
constantlypresentforthe
purposeofexercisingherrightsandfulfillingherobligations,evenintheeventofher

factual
absence.Toacquiredomicileinthelegalsensethepersonmusthavetheintentionof
settling
attheparticularplaceforanindefiniteperiod.Domicileandcitizenshipcoincide.
Importanceofdomicile
Lexdomicilii
issignificant.Itdetermineswhetherachildislegitimateorextramarital.
Lex
domicilii
isimportanceforthelawofsuccession,thelawofintestatesuccession,thecapacity
toinherit,thesystemoflawaccordingtowhichawillistobeinterpreted,
thematrimonial
propertyregimeofamarriage,thelawofprocedure.

Whyisitimportanttoknowwherethepersonisdomiciled?
1.itdeterminesthejurisdictionofcourt
2.Yourrighttoenterintoacontract
*
Everypersonmusthaveadomicileatalltimes.TheDomicileAct
providesthatnoone
losesherdomicileuntilshehasacquiredanotherdomicile.
DifferentTypesofDomicile
1.DomicileofOrigin
2.DomicileofChoice
3.DomicilebyOperationofLaw

DomicileofOrigin(
domiciliumoriginis)
Thisisthedomicilethelawassignstoheratbirth.TheDomicileAct
providesthatnoone
losesherdomicileuntilsheahsacquiredanotherdomicile,whetherbychoiceor
operationof
law.

CASE:GrindalvGrindal1997(4)SA137
Adomicileoforigindoesnotreviveautomaticallyifthatpersonintends
toabandonhisor
herpreviousdomicle.Thepersonretainsthedomicleheorsheahsatthat
stageuntilheor
sheacquiresanewone,whetherbychoiceoroperationoflaw.

DomicileofChoice
Adomicileofchoiceisthatdomicilewhichsomeonewhohascapacitytoacthaschosen
for
herselfbyexercisingofherownfreewill.Itisthemostimportantkindofdomicile.A
person
overtheageof18years(orhavingthestatusofamajor)andhavinga
mentalcapacityto
makerationalchoicesarepartoftherequirementstoattainadomicileof
choice.However,
therearetwomorerequirements:
1.Thepersonmustactuallysettleattheparticularplace(
factum
)
2.Thepersonmusthavetheintentionofresidingpermanentlyatthatplace(
animus
)
Thesetworequirementsmustatsometimeexistsimultaneously.
Factum
requirement
Thisisviewedobjectively.Nospecificperiodofphysicalresidenceisrequiredbutthe
person
mustnotsimplybevisitingtheplace.Thecourtssometimes
takeintoconsiderationthe
durationofthephysicalpresencetoinferfromwhetherthe
personhadtheintentionof
remainingatthatspecificplace.Youmustactuallysettleattheplace
whereyouchooseto
domicile.

C A
S
E : C o o k v
C o o k 1 9 3 9 C P
D
3 1 4
Inordertoacquireadomicileofchoiceataparticularplacetherpersonmustactually
reside
there,andhavethe
animusmanendi
,thatistheintentiontoremainatthatplace.Itshouldbe
notedthatalthoughtheserequirementsmustatsomestageexist
simultaneously,theyneed
notcomeintobeingsimultaneously.
Animus

requirement
Thisisasubjectivetest.Inotherwords,theintentionoftheparticularpersonis
determined;
theintentionnottoleavetheparticularplace,andtheintentionofresidingpermanentlyat
the
particularplace.*theproblemwiththisrequirementisintention.

C A S E : J o h n s o n v J o h n s o n 1 9 3 0 ( 1 ) A D
3 9 1
Theintentionnecessaryforacquiringadomicileofchoice
excludeallcontemplation
ofany
eventinwhichtheresidencewouldcease.

C A S E : E i l o n v
E i l o n 1 9 6 5 ( 1 ) S A 7 0 3
Thereshouldbefixedanddeliberateintentiontoabandonhispreviousdomicile,andto
settle
permanentlyinthecountryofchoice.Strictinterpretation

Domicilebyoperationoflaw
Anyonewhodoesnothavethecapacitytoacquireadomicileofchoiceat
theplacewith
whichsheismostcloselyconnected.Thelawassignsadomicileby
operationoflawforas
longastheirminorityormentalincapacitylasts,andthatdomicileistheplacewithwhich
the
particularpersonismostcloselyconnected.Thistypeofdomicileis
calledadomicileby
operationoflaworanassigneddomicile.

Childapersonundertheageof18