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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §17.2.6.pr

Determination of Shares and the Decision of a Fair Man

Passage 2508 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Pomponius explains that if a partnership is formed on the condition that one party determines the shares, the determination must be referred to the decision of an honorable man (arbitrium boni viri), which may allow unequal shares based on unequal contributions of labor, industry, or money.

[POMPONIUS libro nono ad Sabinum. ] §17.2.6.prSi societatem mecum coieris ea condicione, ut partes societatis constitueres, ad boni uiri arbitrium ea res redigenda est: et conueniens est uiri boni arbitrio, ut non utique ex aequis partibus socii simus, ueluti si alter plus operae industriae pecuniae in societatem collaturus sit.
[POMPONIUS in his ninth book on Sabinus] If you enter into a partnership with me on the condition that you should determine the shares of the partnership, the matter must be referred to the decision of an honorable man; and it is consistent with the decision of an honorable man that we should not by all means be partners with equal shares, as for instance, if one of us is to contribute more labor, industry, or money to the partnership.

Notes

  1. §17.2.6.prboni uiri arbitrium — A standard Roman law concept referring to the 'decision of an honorable man' (or 'good citizen'). Even when the determination of terms (such as shares) is left to one of the parties, it must not be exercised arbitrarily but must conform to an objective standard of fairness and reasonableness.
  2. §17.2.6.prplus operae industriae pecuniae — The nouns operae, industriae, and pecuniae are all in the genitive singular, serving as partitive genitives dependent on the comparative neuter noun (here accusative) plus, meaning 'more of labor, of industry, or of money'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §17.2.6.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:17.2.6.pr

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