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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §10.3.27.pr

Restrictions on Interrogating a Common Slave under Torture

Passage 1722 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Paulus states that one of the co-owners is not legally permitted to subject a common slave to examination under torture unless it is conducted for the sake of their common business.

[PAULUS libro tertio epitomarum Alfeni digestorum. ] §10.3.27.prDe communi seruo unus ex sociis quaestionem habere nisi communis negotii causa iure non potest.
[PAULUS, Epitome of Alfenus' Digest, book III.] One of the partners cannot lawfully examine a common slave under torture except for the sake of common business.

Notes

  1. §10.3.27.prquaestionem habere — Refers to "examining under torture." In Roman law, the quaestio of a slave typically involved physical torture. Because torturing a common slave could compromise the interests of the other partner (e.g., by reducing the slave's physical value), it is legally prohibited unless required for the sake of their common business (communis negotii causa).
  2. §10.3.27.prnisi communis negotii causa — nisi correlates with the negative non to express an exception ("not... unless"). communis negotii is a genitive phrase modifying causa, which functions as a prepositional ablative meaning "for the sake of."

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §10.3.27.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:10.3.27.pr

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