Panama R. v. Castilla
Opinion of the Court
This action was brought by defendant in error, herein called plaintiff, against plaintiff in error, herein called
The question whether a cause of action for death by wrongful act exists in the Canal Zone was raised by demurrer to the complaint, the overruling of which is assigned as error. That question has been considered and disposed of adversely to defendant in Panama Railroad Co. v. James Rock (C. C. A.) 272 Fed. 649, this day decided, and what is there stated need not be repeated here. That case is decisive of this upon all questions, except upon that of whether plaintiff sustained such relation to the deceased child as to authorize a recovery by her.
“Legitimate children are called those conceived during the real or putative marriage of their parents, which produces legal effects, and those legitimated by the marriage of the same, subsequently to the conception. All others are illegitimate.” Article 6, p. 544.
“Illegitimate children are natural or begotten in criminal and punishable intercourse, or simply illegitimate.” Article 52, p. 27.
“Children born out of wedlock, not of punishable intercourse, may be acknowledged by their parents or by one of them, and shall have the legal quality of natural children with respect to the father or the mother who may have acknowledged them.” Article 54, p. 561.
“The acknowledgment is a free and voluntary act of the father or mother who acknowledges.” Article 55, p. 561.
“The acknowledgment must he inade by a public instrument inter vivos, or by a testamentary act.” Article 56, p. 561.
“The acknowledgment of the natural child must be notified and accepted or repudiated in the same maimer as legitimation would he, according to Title II of the Civil Code.” Article 57, p. 562.
Plaintiff having failed to comply with these statutory requirements as to acknowledgment, it follows that her deceased child was “simply illegitimate.”
The judgment is therefore reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PANAMA R. CO. v. CASTILLA
- Status
- Published