Legal Definitions - declaration of rights

A declaration of rights is a legal action where a person asks a court to clarify their rights, even if those rights have not been violated. This is often done when there is uncertainty about a person's legal status or entitlements.

• A person may seek a declaration of legitimacy to confirm their legal status as a child of their parents.
• A person may seek a declaration of nullity of marriage to clarify whether their marriage is legally valid or not.
• A person may seek an authoritative interpretation of a will to determine their entitlements under the will.

These examples illustrate how a declaration of rights can be used to clarify a person's legal status or entitlements, even if there has been no violation of their rights.