Legal Personhood and Capacity: Understanding Rights and Obligations
Classified in Law & Jurisprudence
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Legal Status and Capacity to Act
An individual possesses a natural ability to act that evolves with age. Colloquially, this is referred to as being a mature or immature individual. Its development depends on social circumstances, such as family and education. However, full mental maturity is generally reached by all individuals at a certain age.
The law takes into account this capacity to act, distinguishing between legal capacity and capacity to act.
- Legal Capacity: This is the capacity to have rights and obligations. All individuals possess legal capacity simply by existing.
- Capacity to Act: This is the ability to exercise those rights and fulfill obligations. It is acquired at a certain age, when it is socially accepted that an individual has