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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §18.1.54.pr

Protection of Good Faith Sales from Trivial Invalidation

Passage 2642 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Presents the legal principle that a contract of sale concluded in good faith should not be rendered void or undone on account of a very minor reason.

[PAULUS libro primo ad edictum aedilium curulium. ] §18.1.54.prRes bona fide uendita propter minimam causam inempta fieri non debet.
[PAULUS, On the Edict of the Curule Aediles, Book I] A thing sold in good faith ought not to become unsold on account of a very slight cause.

Notes

  1. §18.1.54.prbona fide — An idiomatic ablative phrase meaning "in good faith," consisting of the ablative feminine singular of bonus and fides. Here it modifies the perfect participle uendita (sold), indicating that the transaction was conducted honestly and in accordance with objective mutual trust.
  2. §18.1.54.prinempta fieri — A combination of the adjective inemptus (unbought, unsold) and fieri, the infinitive of fio (to become). It means "to become unbought" (i.e., to have the sale rescinded or annulled). The adjective inempta is in the nominative feminine singular, functioning as a predicate nominative agreeing with the subject res.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §18.1.54.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:18.1.54.pr

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