Page:An introduction to Roman-Dutch law.djvu/78

 38 Majority may be accelerated by: (1) venia aetatis; (2) marriage. Venia aetatis, Grotius says, is obtained when the minor is for special reasons declared of age, before attaining the prescribed years of majority, either by the Sovereign or by the Court. Voet, however, and Van der Linden give the prerogative of conceding it to the Sovereign alone. After some difference of opinion the law has been settled in this sense by the Courts of South Africa. The effect of venia aetatis (which is not given to males under twenty or to females under eighteen years of age) is to put an end to all the incapacities and benefits of minority except as regards the alienation or hypothecation of immovables, which, unless expressly granted along with venia aetatis, can only be effected after leave obtained from the Court. In this respect alone, persons who have obtained venia aetatis remain on the same footing as other minors.

The effect of marriage is different. In the case of a male this puts an end to minority absolutely; accordingly the latter does not revive in the event of the death of the wife while the husband is within the ordinary limits of minority. But in this case, as also in the case of natural