ABSTRACT

It has become a common practice in Nigeria for parties who intend to contract a statutory marriage to marry first under customary law before the solemnization of the statutory marriage. This practice may be explained by the fact that though Western civilization and culture have permeated Nigerian society, most people, even the most sophisticated understandably regard themselves as bound by the customary law of their place of origin. The Nigerian Marriage Act has given validity to this practice by enabling who are married under Customary Law to marry each other under the statute.

Some legal questions arise from this practice. It is uncertain whether the statutory marriage supersedes, for all intent and purposes, the previous customary-law marriage, or if the customary law marriage is merely put into abeyance to retrieve after the subsequent statutory marriage has come to an end. There is also the question of whether both marriages co-exist.

The purpose of this project will be to examine all this questions and the position of such marriages and the associated problems in Nigeria.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CASES

TABLE OF STATUTES

LISTOFABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1.0 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

1.2.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.3.0 FOCUS OF THESTUDY

1.4.0 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

1.5.0 METHODOLOGY

1.6.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

1.7.0 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.7.0 CONCLUSION

CHAPTER TWO

GLOBAL CONCEPT OF MARRIAGE EXAMINED

2.0.0 INTRODUCTION

2.1.0 DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE

2.2.0 CONSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE UNDER NIGERIAN LAW

2.2.1  CONSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE UNDER CUSTOMARY LAW

2.2.2  CONSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE UNDER STATUTORY LAW

3.3.0 LEGAL EFFECT OF MARRIAGE IN NIGERIAN

2.4.0 CONCLUSION

CHAPTER THREE

DOUBLE-DECKER MARRIAGE IN NIGERIA: ISSUES, PROBLEMS AND

SOLUTIONS

3.0.0  INTRODUCTION

3.1.0  DEFINITION OF DOUBLE- DECKER MARRIAGE

3.2.0  REASONS FOR DOUBLE- DECKER MARRIAGE

3.3.0  IMPLICATION AND EFFECT OF DOUBLE- DECKER 

MARRIAGE

3.4.0  PROBLEMS OF DOUBLE- DECKER MARRIAGE IN NIGERIA

3.5.0  TERMINATION OF DOUBLE- DECKER MARRIAGE IN  NIGERIA

3.6.0   CONCLUSION

CHAPTER FOUR

PROSPECT OF DOUBLE-DECKER MARRIAGE IN NIGERIA

4.0.0 INTRODUCTION

4.1.0   ADVANTAGES OF DOUBLE-DECKER MARRIAGE IN 

NIGERIA

4.1.1  SOCIAL BENEFITS OF DOUBLE-DECKER MARRIAGE IN 

NIGERIA

4.1.2  ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF DOUBLE-DECKER MARRIAGE IN

            NIGERIA

4.1.3  JUDICIAL BENEFITS OF DOUBLE-DECKER MARRIAGE IN

            NIGERIA

4.2.0    CONCLUSION

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.0.0 CONCLUSION

5.1.0    RECOMMENDATION

            BIBLIOGRAPHY                           

            ARTICLES IN JOURNALS

            ARTICLES ON INTERNET

            BOOKS

            NEWSPAPER REPORT ON THE INTERNET

            PAPERS PRESENTED AT CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP AND SEMINAR

TABLE OF CASES

NIGERIA

• Afonne v. Afonne (1975) ECSNLR 195
• Agu v. Agu (unreported) suit no. E SD 70. High court of Enugun
• Akparanta v. Akparanta (1972) 2 ECSLR 779
• Asiata v. Goncallo (1900) NLR 41
• Cheni v. Cheni (1963) 2 WLR 17
• Craigh v. Craigh (1964) LLR 96
• Jadesimi v. Okotiebo (1996) 2 NWLR 128
• Kpelanya v. Tsoka and Anor (1971) NWLR 66
• ObeleIniya v. Obele (1973) 1 NWLR 155
• Odie v. NwekeObor and anor (1973) ECSNLR 733
• Oku v. Oku (1972) 2 ESCLR 619
• Olusanya v. Ibadiaran (1971) 1 UILR 149
• Sharpless v. Barton (1951) WACA 198
• Solowon v. Chukwuani (1972) 2 ECSLR 619
• Teriba v. Teriba and Rickett suit no. 1/211/67 of 2/7/69, (unreported) Ibadan High court.

UNITED KINGDOM

• Best v. Samuel Fox .& co ltd (1952) 2 ALL ER 394
• Cowley (Earl) v. Cowley (countess) (1901) AC 450
• Cowley v. Cowley (1903) AC 450
• Fasbbender v. A.F (1922) 2 CH 850 at 858
• Fendall v. Goldsmith (1877) 2 PD 263
• Frost v. Aylesbury Diary Company (1905) ALL ER 578
• Hyde v. Hyde (1856) LR IP & D 130
• Mallert v. Dunn (1949) 2. KB 180 ( 1949) J.R
• Ohochukwu v. Ohochukwu (1960) 1 ALL ER 253
• Place v. Searle (1932) 2KB 497
• R v. Jackson (1891) 1 QB 671
• R v. Miller (1954) 2 ALL ER 529

TABLE OF STATUTES

NIGERIA

• Criminal Code Act CAP 77 LFN 2004
• Interpretation Act 1964
• Laws of Eastern Nigeria 1963
• Marriage Act CAP M6 LFN 2004
• Matrimonial Causes Act Decree No 18 of 1970
• Native Authority (Declaration of Idoma Native Marriage law and Custom) Order 1959

LISTS OF ABREVIATIONS

• C: English Appeal Cases
• ALL E.R: All England Law Reports
• C.S.N.L.R: East Central State of Nigeria law Reports
• B: Kings Bench
• J.P: Law Journal Probate
• L.R: Lagos law Report
• C.A: Matrimonial causes Act
• A.L.N: Native Authority legal Notice
• NLR: Nigerian law Report
• NWLR: Nigerian Weekly Law Report
• D: Probate Division ï‚·W.A.C.A:         West African Court of Appeal ï‚·W.L.R:              Weekly law Report.