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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §26.7.38.pr-26.7.38.2

Joint Liability and Cession of Actions for Omitted Guardianship

Passage 3873 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The author discusses the joint liability of multiple tutors when none of them administer the guardianship, the redistribution of burdens if some are insolvent, and the denial of the right to demand cession of actions due to their own negligence.

[IDEM libro duodecimo quaestionum. ] §26.7.38.prSi plures tutelam non administrauerint et omnes soluendo sint, utrum, quia nullae partes administrationis inueniuntur, electioni locus erit an ut eiusdem pecuniae debitores excipere debebunt periculi societatem? quod magis ratio suadet.
[THE SAME, in his Twelfth Book of Questions.] If several tutors have not administered the guardianship and all are solvent, will there, because no divisions of administration are found, be room for choice, or must they, as debtors of the same money, accept the partnership of risk? This is what reason rather commends.
§26.7.38.1Si quidam ex his idonei non sint, onerabuntur sine dubio ceteri, nec inique, cum singulorum contumacia pupillo damnum in solidum dederit.
If some of them are not solvent, the others will without doubt be burdened, and not unjustly, since the negligence of each individual has caused damage to the pupil in full.
§26.7.38.2Unde quaerendum est, an actiones pupillus ei, qui solus conuenitur, in alterum pro parte scilicet praestare debeat.
Hence it is to be asked whether the pupil ought to transfer actions against the other tutor to the one who is sued alone, namely, in proportion to that other's share.
sed cum propria cuiusque contumacia puniatur, qua fronte poterit hoc desiderari?
But since the individual's own negligence is being punished, with what face can this be demanded?

Notes

  1. §26.7.38.prsoluendo sint — The dative of the gerundive (`soluendo`) used with the verb `esse` to express purpose or capacity ("solvent" or "capable of paying"), which is a standard legal idiom in Roman law.
  2. §26.7.38.preiusdem pecuniae debitores excipere — The verb `excipere` is used here in the sense of undertaking or taking upon oneself (`suscipere`), and `eiusdem pecuniae debitores` functions appositively or as a qualifier meaning "as debtors of the same sum of money."
  3. §26.7.38.2actiones pupillus ei... pro parte scilicet praestare debeat — The phrase queries whether the pupil is obliged to cede actions. `actiones praestare` is a legal idiom meaning to transfer or cede rights of action. `in alterum` modifies `actiones` ("actions against the other [tutor]"), and `pro parte scilicet` means "namely, in proportion to that other's share." The subject of `debeat` is `pupillus`.
  4. §26.7.38.2qua fronte — An ablative of manner or means (literally "with what forehead/face"), used idiomatically to express effrontery or audacity ("with what face", "how can they have the audacity to").

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §26.7.38.pr-26.7.38.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:26.7.38.pr-26.7.38.2

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