CENTER FOR LAWS OF NIGERIA: FEDERAL LAWS
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MARRIAGES (VALIDATION) ACT
Arrangement of Sections
1. | Validation of Marriages celebrated in Western Nigeria. | 2. | Validation of Marriages celebrated in Northern Nigeria. | 3. | Validation of Marriages celebrated in East-Central, Rivers and South Eastern States. |
4. | Certificates etc. to be evidence | 5. | Savings | 6. | Short title, extent and repeal. |
Marriages (Validation) Act
An Act to validate certain marriages celebrated in the Western, Eastern and Northern States of Nigeria between 1st January 1954 and the commencement of this Act, which were considered to be of doubtful validity.
[11th August, 1971] [Commencement]
(a) in duly designated marriage districts;
(b) before duly appointed registrars of marriages and
(c) in duly appointed marriage offices- shall be deemed always to have been valid in law as if they had been celebrated with the due observance of the requirements of the law.
(a) the certificate of notice of the marriage or the grant of the licence to marry, as the case may be, issued or granted under section 11 or 13 respectively of the Marriage Act in respect of each marriage was issued or granted by the proper person having authority to issue such certificate or grant such licence;
(b) in the relevant cases, the public officer who celebrated the marriage was the proper registrar of marriages to celebrate it; and
(c) the office or the place of public worship, as the case may be, in which the marriage was celebrated was the place in which it could legally be celebrated.
(a) in duly designated marriage districts;
(b) before duly appointed registrars of marriages; and
(c) in duly appointed marriage offices,- shall be and be deemed always to have been valid in law as if they had been celebrated with the due observance of the requirements of the law.
(a) apply to any Muslim marriage or customary law marriage;
(b) render valid any marriage if before the coming into operation of this Act-
(i) the marriage has been declared invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, or
(ii) either of the parties to the marriage has during the life of the other, lawfully married any other per-son; or
(c) affect any right dependent before the coming into operation of this Act on the validity of the marriage.
(2) The following enactments, that is to say-
(a) the Marriages in Western Nigeria (Validation) Act 1962 and
(b) the Marriages in Northern Nigeria (Validation) Act 1965 are hereby repealed.