Codigo da uses e Costumes de habitantes -Damao dtd 19.4.1912

In reply to Starred Question No. 568 raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly on 5th July 1995 by late Shri Manohar Parrikar, the then Law Minister Shri Dominic Fernandes informed the House that a total of 43 Portuguese enactments continued to remain in force in the State of Goa. The particulars of those laws were furnished in Annexure I appended to the said reply. The present Code of Usages and Customs of the Inhabitants - Daman are mentioned at Serial No. 18 in the said list.

As no authoritative English translation of this Code of Usages and Customs of the Inhabitants - Daman was available in the public domain, Goa Kaido, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence, has undertaken the task of preparing its English rendering with a view to making all such Portuguese enactments, referred to in the aforesaid Assembly Question, accessible to readers, legal researchers, academicians and members of the public.

By this Code, the 1912 Code of Usages and Customs of the Inhabitants of Daman restored the 1854 customs code, replacing the 1894 version. It amended rules on marriage, guardianship, family property, inheritance, adoption, wills, and maintenance. The code strengthened family administration under the maioral, recognized Muslim women’s financial rights, and aligned several matters with general civil law.

Accordingly, for the benefit of readers and researchers, this publication incorporates the English translation of the principal provisions of the present Code of Usages and Customs of the Inhabitants - Daman in the Notification File, together with the original Portuguese text as published in the Official Gazette in the Act File, so as to facilitate reference, preservation and comparative study.