Illegitimacy

A child born out of true wedlock is calledillegitimate.

An illegitimate child suffers inconveniences, such asbeing debarred from certain offices and dignities, and also withreference to inheritance. Both parents of illegitimate children arebound, by the natural law itself, to provide for them.

The positive or statute law establishes illegitimacy,and therefore the same law can remove it. Hence, illegitimatechildren can be legitimized by due process of law.