The Concept of Obligation

Bisrat T. Hailemichael Jimma University, Jimma

Contact address; teklubirat@gmail.com, or bisrat.teklu@ju.edu.et

Obligation Defined
An obligation is a juridical necessity to give, to do or not to do. A legal or a moral duty to do or not to do something.

Is the term obligation synonymous to the word duty?

In its popular sense- synonymous with duty. In its legal sense- it differs from duty in several respects

Legal Rights

Political rts.

Civil rts

Public rts.

rts. of status

patrimonial rts.

Public rightsincorporate rights such as

rights against attack on ones own person, reputation or property Group rights, such as rights of civil and religious liberty

These rights may have a pecuniary value, but he law does not regard this, primary as patrimonial rights. (e.g. Art 2045 of the Ethiopian C.C) No one count such rights in his balance sheet.- they can not be disposed

Rights of Status:
Rights which belong to a person in virtue of his/her being part of a particular family. (e.g., Husband, Wife, Child, Son in law, etc) some rights of status has a pecuniary value.
E.g. the right to claim an alimentary provision

Patrimonial Rights:
incorporates all those rights which are primarily of pecuniary character. And would properly be included among the assets of a person making a statement of his/her pecuniary position.