Presumption of marriage

-
ZAINA ISMAIL v  SAIDI MKONDO 1985 TLR 239 (HC)
Family Law - Marriage - Presumption of marriage - Parties living together for five years -    Whether a lawful marriage is thereby established - Law of Marriage Act, 1971, s 160(1).
Family Law - Custody of children - Right of custody of a child born out of cohabitation without marriage - Law of Persons, GN 279 of 1963
Judgment
Kapoor Ag. J.:  Appellant was sued by the respondent who claimed custody of his child born to the appellant on 25/2/1982.
The parties had lived together for nearly 5 years - but they were not lawfully married. The District Magistrate, in a very well written judgment gave custody of the child to the respondent.  His reasons for reversing the judgment of the Primary Court were that anyone who sires a child adulterously cannot be held to claim the child.
The District Magistrate reasoned that since the parties had lived together for nearly 5 years, as husband and wife, they were to be treated as duly married.  The authorities that he cited were relevant to those parties who were lawfully married.  With respect to the District Magistrate, I cannot agree with his reasoning, which made him to consider that the respondent and appellant were lawfully married.  Under the Law of Marriage Act, parties can raise a rebuttable presumption of marriage if they were staying together - for a period of over 2 years, in such circumstances as to have acquired the reputation of being husband and wife.  
This presumption may be rebutted if it can be proved that the parties had never gone through a ceremony of marriage recognised under the Act: Francis s/o Leo v Paschal Simon Maganga [1978] LRT n.22.
The intention of the legislature under section 160(1) of the Law of Marriage Act is not to give a general licence of Legal Marriage Status to parties who live together for two years and above in such circumstances.  The Law of Marriage Act lays down strict procedure through which a man and woman capable of contracting a marriage can contract a valid marriage.  Section 160(1) of the Law of Marriage Act only creates a rebuttable presumption of Marriage.  It does not create another method of contracting a Lawful Marriage under the Act. 
Hence it can be clearly stated that the only method of contracting Lawful Marriage in Tanzania is by following the laid-down provisions under Part II of the Law of Marriage Act. In this case the parties themselves agree that they have not been lawfully married.  They just lived together.  The rebuttable presumption is adequately rebutted by the parties themselves.  The Primary Court Magistrate had framed this question as an issue No. 4 and reached the conclusion that the parties were not lawfully married; they were just living together.
Accordingly, the cases cited by the District Magistrate are not relevant to the circumstances of this case.  The respondent was not lawfully married to the appellant; hence the appellant's child born to the appellant on 25/2/82 is an illegitimate child.  The respondent could have legitimated this child before it weaned under Rule 181 of G.N. no. 279 of 1963.  This the respondent has not done and it is too late in the day now for him to claim this child from the appellant.
I therefore, allow this appeal and grant custody of the child to the appellant.  Respondent to pay appellant's costs of this Court and courts below.
Costs of this appeal are fixed at Shs. 268/= inclusive of court

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Haki na Wajibu wa Mtoto kisheria kulingana na sheria ya Mtoto ya Mwaka 2009

-
Image
Maana ya Mtoto  Kwa mujibu wa Sheria ya mtoto ya mwaka 2009(The Law of Child Act) na Mkataba wa Kimataifa wa Haki za Mtoto wa mwaka 1989 (Convention On the Rights of Child) , mtoto ni kila banadamu aliye chini ya umri wa miaka 18 kulingana na kifungu cha 4(1) cha Sheria ya Mtoto Ya mwaka 2009  Sababu za kuwa na ulinzi wa haki za mtoto ni pamoja na;  ➣ Watoto ni binadamu, wana haki sawa;  ➣ Watoto hawana sauti ya kujisemea au hawana uwezo wa kupigania haki zao wenyewe;  ➣ Kuwepo kwa wimbi kubwa la ukiukwaji wa haki za watoto mfano ukatili dhidi ya mtoto, utesaji na ubakaji Sheria ya Mtoto Namba 21 ya Mwaka 2009 inashughulikia haki za watoto Tanzania. Sheria hii inajumuisha mambo mbalimbali ya kukuza, kulinda, na kuhifadhi ustawi wa mtoto; masharti ya unajibishaji wa mtoto aliyezaliwa nje ya ndoa; masuala ya kulea, kuasili na uangalizi. Pia inatoa maelekezo na masharti yanayohusu mtoto anapokuwa katika mgogoro na sheria.  Sheria hii inatumika kutetea masuala yote
Read more

KOSA LA KUGHUSHI NA ADHABU YAKE

-
Image
KOSA LA KUGHUSHI VYARAKA MBALIMBALI Kanuni ya Adhabu kifungu cha 333 kinaeleza nini maana ya kughushi ikiwa ni ni kutengeneza nyaraka ya uwongo kwa nia ya kudanganya au kuhadaa. Kanuni ya Adhabu kifungu cha 335 kinaeleza kuwa. Mtu yeyote anayetengeneza nyaraka ya uwongo ambaye–  (a) anafanya nyaraka ambayo ni ya uwongo au ambayo ana sababu ya kuamini kuwa si ya kweli;  (b) anabadili nyaraka bila ya mamlaka kwa namna ambayo iwapo kubadili huko kungekuwa na mamlaka kungebadili matokeo ya nyaraka hiyo;  (c) anaingiza katika nyaraka hiyo bila ya mamlaka , wakati nyaraka hiyo inaandikwa, jambo ambalo kama lingeruhusiwa lingebadilisha matokeo ya nyaraka hiyo;  (d) anatia sahihi nyaraka –  (i) kwa jina la mtu yeyote bila ya ruhusa ya mtu huyo, liwe jina hilo ni la yule anayetia sahihi hiyo au silo;  (ii) kwa jina la mtu yeyote wa kubuniwa ambaye anadhaniwa kwamba yupo, iwe mtu wa kubuniwa huyo anadhaniwa kwamba ni wa jina sawa na aliyetia sahihi hiyo au sivyo;  (iii) kwa ji
Read more

MAKOSA YASIYO NA DHAMANA(NON BAILABLE OFFENCES)

-
Image
MAKOSA YA JINAI YASIYO NA DHAMANA(NON BAILABLE OFFENCES) sheria ya mwenendo wa makosa ya Jinai Kifungu 148(5)  Afisa polisi msimamizi wa kituo cha polisi au mahakama ambako mtuhumiwa ameletwa au amehudhuria, haitatoa dhamana kwa mtu huyo iwapo:–  (a) mtu huyo anashitakiwa kwa:–  (i) mauaji, uhaini, ujambazi wa kutumia silaha, au unajisi wa mtoto;  (ii) usafirishaji haramu wa madawa ya kulevya kinyume cha Sheria ya Madawa ya Kulevya na Kuzuia Usafirishaji Haramu wa Madawa ya Kulevya, lakini haihusu mtu aliyeshitakiwa kwa kosa la kukutwa na madawa ambayo kwa kuzingatia mazingira yote ambako kosa lilitendeka, haikuwa kwa makusudi ya usafirishaji au kibiashara;  (iii) kosa linalohusisha heroini,kokeini, opiamu iliyotayarishwa opiamu popi (papava setijeramu), majani ya popi, mmea wa koka, majani ya koka,kanibisi sativa au kanibisi resini (Heipu ya India), methakyolani (mandraksi), kata edulisi (khati) au dawa nyingine ya kulevya au kitu cha saikotropiki kilichooreshwa kwenye jed
Read more