Infants' Marriage Settlements Act 1856 No 2a (NSW)

No. II .

An Act to enable Infants with the approbation of the Supreme Court in its Equitable Juris­ diction to make binding Settlements of their Real and Personal Estate on Marriage. [29th

December, 1856.]

WH E R E A S grea t inconveniences and disadvantages ar ise in sequence of persons who m a r r y du r ing minor i ty be ing incapable

con­

of m a k i n g b ind ing se t t l ements of t he i r p rope r ty F o r r emedy whereof

be i t enac ted by t h e Queen ' s Mos t Exce l l en t Majesty b y and w i t h t h e

advice a n d consent of t h e Legis la t ive Counci l a n d Legis la t ive Assembly

of N e w Sou th W a l e s i n th i s p resen t P a r l i a m e n t assembled as fo l lows:—

1. F r o m a n d after t h e pass ing of t h i s A c t i t shal l be lawful for

every infant u p o n or in con templa t ion of his or he r mar r i age wi th t h e

sanc t ion of t h e Supreme Cour t in i ts E q u i t a b l e Ju r i sd ic t ion to m a k e a

val id a n d b ind ing se t t l ement or con t rac t for a se t t l ement of all or a n y

p a r t of h is or he r p rope r ty or p r o p e r t y over which h e or she has any

power of a p p o i n t m e n t w h e t h e r real or persona l a n d w h e t h e r in pos ­

session revers ion r ema inde r or expec tancy a n d every conveyance

a p p o i n t m e n t a n d ass ignment of such real or persona l estate or con t rac t

to m a k e a conveyance a p p o i n t m e n t or a s s ignment thereof executed b y

such in fan t w i t h t h e approba t ion of t h e said Cour t for t h e pu rpose of g iv ing effect to such se t t l ement shall be as val id a n d effectual as if t h e person execu t ing t h e same were of t h e full age of twenty-one years P rov ided always t h a t th i s enac tmen t shal l n o t ex tend to powers of

which i t is express ly declared t h a t t h e y shal l n o t be exercised	b y
a n	infant .

2. P rov ided a lways t h a t i n case a n y a p p o i n t m e n t unde r a power

of a p p o i n t m e n t or any disenta i l ing assurance shal l have been executed

by a n y infant	t e n a n t in ta i l u n d e r t h e provisions of	th i s A c t a n d	such
infant	shal l af terwards die u n d e r age such appo in tmen t	or	d isenta i l ing
assurance	shal l t h e r e u p o n	become absolutely	void.

3 . The sanct ion of t h e Supreme Cour t in i ts Equ i t ab l e J u r i s ­

dict ion to any such se t t l ement or con t rac t for a se t t l ement m a y be

g iven u p o n pe t i t ion p resen ted by t h e infant or his or he r g u a r d i a n in

a s u m m a r y way w i t h o u t t h e in s t i t u t ion of a su i t and if t h e r e be no

gua rd i an t h e Cour t m a y r e q u i r e a g u a r d i a n t o b e appo in ted or n o t as

i t shal l t h i n k fit a n d t h e Cour t also m a y if i t shal l t h i n k fit r equ i r e

t h a t a n y persons in te res ted or appea r ing t o be in teres ted i n t h e p r o ­

p e r t y should be served w i t h not ice of such pet i t ion.

4. P rov ided a lways t h a t n o t h i n g in th i s A c t conta ined shal l

apply to any ma le infant u n d e r t h e age of t w e n t y years or t o a n y

female infant u n d e r t h e age of seventeen years .

5. The ju r i sd ic t ion a n d powers by th i s A c t vested in t h e

Sup reme Cour t m a y be exercised b y t h e P r i m a r y J u d g e thereof in

E q u i t y or one o ther J u d g e ac t ing as such in his absence or du r ing h is

i l lness in t h e same m a n n e r as t h e ord inary E q u i t a b l e Ju r i sd ic t ion a n d

powers of t h e Sup reme Cour t a r e n o w exercised a n d subject in l ike

m a n n e r to appeal r ehear ing a n d review.

N o . I I I .