Legal Definitions - amitina

In civil law, an amitina refers to a specific type of female first cousin: the daughter of one's paternal aunt or maternal uncle. This term highlights a precise familial relationship within legal frameworks that often categorize kinship with great detail, particularly for matters of inheritance, guardianship, or other family-related legal rights and obligations.

• Example 1: Inheritance and Succession
  Imagine a will drafted in a civil law jurisdiction that specifies, "Should my direct descendants predecease me, my estate shall be distributed equally among my amitinae." In this scenario, the term ensures that the inheritance would specifically pass to the daughters of the testator's paternal aunts or maternal uncles, rather than including all female first cousins, thereby precisely defining the beneficiaries based on a particular lineage.

• Example 2: Guardianship and Family Law
  Consider a situation in a country governed by civil law where a minor child's parents are tragically incapacitated. When a court needs to appoint a legal guardian, the relevant statutes might prioritize certain relatives. A law could state that if grandparents and siblings are unavailable, consideration should be given to the child's amitinae. This indicates a legal preference for the child's female first cousins who are the daughters of their paternal aunts or maternal uncles, recognizing their specific familial bond and potential suitability for guardianship.

• Example 3: Historical Legal Codes and Kinship Restrictions
  In some historical civil codes, or those still influenced by ancient Roman law, specific degrees of kinship were outlined for various legal purposes, such as marriage prohibitions. A code might have explicitly forbidden marriage between an individual and their amitina. This would mean that a marriage between a man and his female first cousin, specifically the daughter of his paternal aunt or maternal uncle, was legally prohibited, demonstrating how the term defined boundaries for social and legal relationships.