Matrimonial Causes Act

An Act to make provisions for matrimonial causes.
[Commencement. ] [17th March, 1970]

Sections

Section 1 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Institution of matrimonial cause proceedings only under this Act.

Section 2 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Jurisdiction in matrimonial causes.

Section 3 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Void marriages and prohibited degrees of consanguinity.

Section 4 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Marriage of persons within prohibited degrees of affinity.

Section 5 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Voidable marriages.

Section 6 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Validity, etc., of certain marriages not affected.

Section 7 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Special provisions as to wife’s domicile.

Section 8 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Law to be applied.

Section 9 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Staying and transferring of proceedings.

Section 10 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Courts to aid one another.

Section 11 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Reconciliation.

Section 12 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Hearing when reconciliation fails.

Section 13 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Statements, etc., made in course of attempt to effect reconciliation.

Section 14 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Marriage conciliator to take oath of secrecy.

Section 15 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Grounds for dissolution of marriage.

Section 16 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Provisions supplementary to section 15.

Section 17 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Additional provisions to encourage reconciliation.

Section 18 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Constructive desertion.

Section 19 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Refusal to resume cohabitation.

Section 20 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Desertion continuing after insanity.

Section 21 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Restriction on finding of non-consummation.

Section 22 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Aggregation of concurrent sentences in reckoning imprisonment.

Section 23 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Restriction on finding of non-maintenance.

Section 24 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Restriction on finding of insanity.

Section 25 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Power to refuse to make decree without maintenance, etc., in proper case.

Section 26 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Condonation and connivance.

Section 27 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Collusion.

Section 28 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Discretionary bars.

Section 29 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – No dissolution where petition for nullity before court.

Section 30 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Petition within two years of marriage.

Section 31 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Claim for damages.

Section 32 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Joinder of adulterers, etc.

Section 33 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Effect of dissolution of marriage.

Section 34 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Ground for decree of nullity of marriage.

Section 35 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Who may institute proceedings.

Section 36 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Incapacity to consummate marriage.

Section 37 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Restrictions on certain grounds.

Section 38 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Effect of decree of nullity of a voidable marriage.

Section 39 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Grounds for judicial separation.

Section 40 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Application to judicial separation of sundry sections of this Part.

Section 41 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Effect of decree of judicial separation.

Section 42 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Effect on rights to sue, devolution of property, etc.

Section 43 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Exercise of joint powers not affected.

Section 44 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Decree of judicial separation not to bar subsequent proceedings for dissolution of marriage.

Section 45 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Discharge of decree of judicial separation on resumption of cohabitation.

Section 46 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Application of sections 41 to 45 to certain decrees.

Section 47 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Ground for decree of restitution of conjugal rights.

Section 48 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Agreement for separation.

Section 49 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Sincerity of petitioner.

Section 50 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Notice as to home.

Section 51 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Enforcement of decree.

Section 52 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Ground for decree of jactitation of marriage, and discretion of court.

Section 53 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Facts, etc. occurring before commencement of Act or outside Nigeria.

Section 54 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Institution of proceedings.

Section 55 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Duty of court.

Section 56 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Decree nisi in first instance.

Section 57 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Decree absolute where children under sixteen years, etc.

Section 58 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – When decree becomes absolute.

Section 59 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Certificate as to decree absolute.

Section 60 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Rescission of decree nisi where parties are reconciled, etc.

Section 61 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Rescission of decree nisi on ground of miscarriage of justice.

Section 62 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Intervention by Attorney-General on request from court.

Section 63 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Intervention of Attorney-General in other cases.

Section 64 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Delegation by Attorney-General.

Section 65 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Intervention by other persons.

Section 66 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Rescission of decree nisi in consequence of intervention.

Section 67 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – When proceedings finally disposed of.

Section 68 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Procedure on intervention.

Section 69 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Interpretation of “marriage”, etc., in the application of this Part.

Section 70 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Powers of court in maintenance proceedings.

Section 71 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Powers of court in custody, etc., proceedings.

Section 72 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Power of court in proceedings with respect to settlement of property.

Section 73 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – General powers of court.

Section 74 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Execution of deeds, etc., by order of court.

Section 75 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Power of court to make orders on dismissal of petition.

Section 76 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – General right of appeal.

Section 77 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Appeals with leave.

Section 78 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Appeal from court of summary jurisdiction.

Section 79 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Appellate jurisdiction and powers.

Section 80 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Effect of decrees.

Section 81 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Recognition of other decrees.

Section 82 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Standard of proof.

Section 83 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Evidence of husbands and wives.

Section 84 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Evidence of non-access.

Section 85 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Evidence as to adultery.

Section 86 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Proof of marriage, etc.

Section 87 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Evidence of rape, etc.

Section 88 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Attachment.

Section 89 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Enforcement of decrees by other High Courts.

Section 90 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Recovery of moneys as judgement debt.

Section 91 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Summary enforcement of orders for maintenance.

Section 92 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Enforcement of maintenance orders by attachment of earnings.

Section 93 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Enforcement by other means.

Section 94 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Enforcement of existing decrees.

Section 95 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Power to make rules of court for purposes of this Part.

Section 96 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Definitions.

Section 97 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Pending proceedings generally.

Section 98 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Continuance of proceedings for dissolution or nullity of marriage, or judicial separation.

Section 99 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Application of this Act to pending proceedings.

Section 100 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Continuance of other pending proceedings.

Section 101 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Special provisions as to pending appeals or existing rights to appeal.

Section 102 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Decrees of restitution of conjugal rights under previous law.

Section 103 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Hearings to be in open court.

Section 104 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Proceedings to be heard by judge alone.

Section 105 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Transactions intended to defeat claims.

Section 106 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Service of process.

Section 107 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Position of clergy as to re-marriage.

Section 108 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Restriction on publication of evidence.

Section 109 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Injunctions.

Section 110 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Costs.

Section 111 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Frivolous or vexatious proceedings.

Section 112 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Rules of court.

Section 113 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Savings for sundry domestic and foreign decrees, etc.

Section 114 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Interpretation.

Section 115 Matrimonial Causes Act 1970 – Short title.

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Schedules – (Not Available)