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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §1.3.38.pr

Custom and Judicial Precedent Resolving Ambiguity in Laws

Passage 57 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Callistratus cites a rescript of the Emperor Severus stating that, in cases of ambiguity arising from laws, custom or the authority of consistently decided cases should have the force of law.

[CALLISTRATUS libro I quaestionum. ] §1.3.38.prNam imperator noster Seuerus rescripsit in ambiguitatibus quae ex legibus proficiscuntur consuetudinem aut rerum perpetuo similiter iudicatarum auctoritatem uim legis optinere debere.
[CALLISTRATUS, Questions, book 1] For our Emperor Severus rescripted that, in ambiguities which arise from laws, custom or the authority of cases consistently decided in a similar manner ought to have the force of law.

Notes

  1. §1.3.38.prconsuetudinem aut rerum perpetuo similiter iudicatarum auctoritatem uim legis optinere debere — An accusative with infinitive (A.C.I.) construction serving as the object of the main verb rescripsit. The subject accusatives are consuetudinem and auctoritatem, which govern the infinitive debere, which in turn takes the complementary infinitive optinere with its object accusative uim legis.
  2. §1.3.38.prrerum perpetuo similiter iudicatarum — The noun rerum (genitive plural) is modified by the perfect passive participle iudicatarum (genitive plural feminine). The adverbs perpetuo (consistently) and similiter (similarly) modify the participle iudicatarum. The entire phrase functions as a possessive or relational genitive modifying the noun auctoritatem.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §1.3.38.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:1.3.38.pr

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