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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §27.6.1.pr-27.6.1.6

Transactions by False Tutors and the Scope of the Edict

Passage 4031 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpianus discusses the equity of the edict protecting contracting parties from transactions involving false tutors, and examines Pomponius' commentary on its scope of application, including cases involving incapacitated true tutors, multiple false tutors, self-styled tutors, and the relevance of the plaintiff's knowledge.

[ULPIANUS libro duodecimo ad edictum. ] §27.6.1.pruius edicti aequitas non est ambigua, ne contrahentes decipiantur, dum falsus tutor adhibetur.
[ULPIANUS libro duodecimo ad edictum.] The equity of this edict is not ambiguous, so that contracting parties may not be deceived while a false tutor is employed.
§27.6.1.1Uerba autem edicti haec sunt.
Now the words of the edict are these.
' §27.6.1.2Quod eo auctore' inquit 'qui tutor non fuerit'. uerbis edicti multa desunt: quid enim si fuit tutor, is tamen fuit qui auctoritatem accommodare non potuit? puta furiosus uel ad aliam regionem datus.
'Concerning what has been done on the authority of him,' it says, 'who was not a tutor.' Much is lacking in the words of the edict: for what if he was indeed a tutor, but yet was one who could not grant authority? For instance, a madman, or one assigned to another region.
§27.6.1.3Sed Pomponius libro trigensimo scribit interdum quamuis a non tutore gestum est, non pertinere ad hanc partem edicti: quid enim si duo tutores, alter falsus, alter uerus auctoritatem accommodauerint, nonne ualebit quod gestum est?
But Pomponius writes in his thirtieth book that sometimes, although a transaction was performed by a non-tutor, it does not pertain to this part of the edict: for what if two tutors, one false and the other true, have granted authority, will not what was done be valid?
§27.6.1.4Item hoc edictum licet singulariter scriptum sit, si tamen plures interuenerint, qui tutores non erant, tamen locum habere debere Pomponius libro trigesimo scribit.
Likewise, although this edict is written in the singular, yet if several persons who were not tutors intervened, Pomponius writes in his thirtieth book that it must still apply.
§27.6.1.5Idem Pomponius scribit, etiamsi pro tutore negotia gerens auctoritatem accommodauerit, nihilo minus hoc edictum locum habere, nisi forte praetor decreuit ratum se habiturum id, quod his auctoribus gestum est: tunc enim ualebit per praetoris tuitionem, non ipso iure.
The same Pomponius writes that even if one managing affairs as a tutor has granted authority, this edict nevertheless applies, unless perhaps the praetor has decreed that he will ratify what was done on their authority: for then it will be valid through the praetor's protection, not by operation of law.
§27.6.1.6Ait praetor: 'si id actor ignorauit, dabo in integrum restitutionem'. scienti non subuenit, merito, quoniam ipse se decepit.
The praetor says: 'If the plaintiff was ignorant of this, I will grant reinstatement in full.' He does not assist one who knew, deservedly, since he deceived himself.

Notes

  1. §27.6.1.prCuius edicti — Connecting relative pronoun. Placed at the beginning of the sentence to refer back to the 'edict concerning false tutors' which is the subject of this chapter, linking the context tightly.
  2. §27.6.1.2eo auctore — An ablative absolute construction without a verb, consisting of the pronoun eo and the noun auctor (in the ablative auctore), meaning 'with him acting as the authorizer'.
  3. §27.6.1.5ratum se habiturum id — The idiom 'ratum habere' means 'to ratify' or 'to hold valid'. It forms an accusative with infinitive construction (with the subject accusative 'se' and the future infinitive 'habiturum [esse]') dependent on 'decreuit' (decreed), with 'id' acting as its object.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §27.6.1.pr-27.6.1.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:27.6.1.pr-27.6.1.6

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