Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

Section I   General Provisions

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    557.    Successions devolve to the surviving spouse capable of inheriting, children and descendants of the deceased, and to his or her ascendants and collateral relations, in the order and according to the rules hereinafter laid down.

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    (Substituted by Act 34 of 1956)

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    558.   Proximity of relationship is determined by the number of generations, each generation forming a degree.

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    559.   The sequence of degrees forms the line.

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    The sequence of degrees between persons who descend one from the other is called the direct line; that between persons who do not descend the one from the other, but from a common ancestor, is called the collateral line.

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    The direct line is either the direct descending, or the direct ascending line.

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    The former connects the ancestor with his or her descendants; the latter connects the descendant with his or her ancestors.

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    560.   In the direct line the degrees are computed to be as many as there are generations between the persons; thus the son is, with respect to the father, in the first degree, the grandson, with respect to the grandfather, in the second, and reciprocally as to the father and grandfather in respect of the son and grandson.

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    561.   In the collateral line the degrees are reckoned by the generations from one relation up to the common ancestor, and from the latter to the other relation.

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    Thus two brothers are in the second degree, uncle and nephew in the third, cousins-german in the fourth, and so on.