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HARVARDHARVARD LAW REVIEWREVIEW VOL.VOL. XXXIVXXXIV MAY,MAY, 19211921 NO.NO.7 7 THETHE UNIFORMUNIFORM ACTACT ONON DECLARATORYDECLARATORY R-D]1JDGMENTS GMENTS T HE National Conference ofof Commissioners on Uniform State T Laws at itsits session inin St. Louis in August, 192o,1920, approved thethe first draft of a Uniform Act on DeclaratoryDeclaratory Judgments. At thethe next session of the Conference in 1921 the Act will probably receive final approval and be recommended to legislatures for enactment. The importance of the recommendationsrecommendations of this august body in promoting the enactment of legislation in our states warwar- rants some comment upon the draft they have approved. Although a few instances of statutory authorization for the rendering of declaratory judgments may be found in our state legislegis- lation prior to 1918, such as the California Act of 1850,1185o,l the Rhode Island Act of 1876,2 the New Jersey Act of 1915,3i915,' the Connecticut 11 CALIFORNIACAL moNIA PRACTICEPRAcrIcE Acr,AcT, § 527: "An"An actionaction may be broughtbrought byby one person against another, forfor thethe purpose of determiningdetermining an adverseadverse claimclaim whiellwhich the latterlatter makes against the former, forfor money or property, upon anan allegedalleged obligation." See KingKing v. Hall,SHall, 5 Cal.Cal. 8383 (1855).(1855). Cf. thethe actionaction of jactitation, stillstill usedused inin many councoun- triestries adopting thethe civilcivil law,law, 2828 YALEYALE L. J. I,I, 20. r9o9, ch. 289, 22 RHODER oDE ISLAND,ISLAND, AcrsAcrs && REsOLVES,RESOLVES, 1?76,I876, ell.ch. 563, § 17,17, GEN. LAWSLAWS 1909, ell. 289, §§ 19:ig: "No"No suitsuit inin equityequity shallshall bebe defeateddefeated on thethe groundground thatthat aa mere declaratory decree isis sought;sought; andand thethe courtcourt may makemake bindingbinding declarationsdeclarations ofof rightright inin equity,equity, withoutwithout grantinggranting consequentialconsequential relief."relief." InIn Hanley v.v.
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