Section 87 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970

Section 87 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 is about Evidence of rape, etc. It provides as follows:

(1) In any proceedings under this Act-
(a) evidence that a person, being a party to a marriage, was after the marriage convicted, whether in Nigeria or elsewhere, of the crime or offence of rape or any other crime or offence in which sexual intercourse with a person of the opposite sex is an element shall be evidence that the former person committed adultery with the person on whom the rape or other crime or offence was committed; and

(b) evidence that a person, being a party to a marriage, was after the marriage convicted, whether in Nigeria or elsewhere, of the crime or offence of sodomy or bestiality shall be evidence that that person committed sodomy or bestiality.

(2) In proceedings under this Act a certificate of the conviction of a person for a crime or offence, on a date specified in the certificate, by a court of a State of the Federation, being a certificate purporting to be signed by the registrar or other appropriate officer of that court, shall be evidence of the fact and date of the conviction and, if the certificate shows that a sentence of imprisonment was imposed, of the fact that that sentence was imposed.

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