In Brief
A Goan domicile (Joaquim Mariano Pereira) purchased property in Bombay and willed it to his daughter before dying. After his death, disputes arose over whether his Bombay property should be governed by the Portuguese Civil Code (applicable in Goa) or the Indian Succession Act. The Supreme Court held that the Portuguese Civil Code, adopted by India after conquest of Goa, is now Indian law—not foreign law. Therefore, it applies to all properties of Goan domiciles anywhere in India. The Court rejected the principle of private international law and clarified that a grant of probate does not affect the rights of legal heirs under succession law. The appeal was allowed and the property was ordered included in the inventory proceedings in Goa.
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