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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §28.1.19.pr

Subsequent Capacity and Wills of Incapacitated Persons

Passage 4109 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This text states that a testament made by a person lacking capacity (such as a filius familias, a ward, or a slave) remains invalid and cannot ground the possession of goods, even if they subsequently change status and acquire capacity before their death.

[MODESTINUS libro quinto pandectarum. ] §28.1.19.prSi filius familias aut pupillus aut seruus tabulas testamenti fecerit signauerit, secundum eas bonorum possessio dari non potest, licet filius familias sui iuris aut pupillus pubes aut seruus liber factus decesserit, quia nullae sunt tabulae testamenti, quas is fecit, qui testamenti faciendi facultatem non habuerit.
[MODESTINUS, in the fifth book of the Pandects.] If a filius familias, a ward, or a slave has made and sealed the tablets of a testament, possession of goods cannot be granted in accordance with them, even if the filius familias should die having become sui iuris, or the ward having reached puberty, or the slave having been made free; because those tablets of a testament are non-existent which were made by a person who did not possess the capacity to make a testament.

Notes

  1. §28.1.19.prfecerit signauerit — An asyndeton (omission of coordinating conjunctions) representing the unified, continuous legal process of making and sealing the testamentary tablets.
  2. §28.1.19.prlicet ... decesserit — A concessive clause introduced by `licet` with the perfect subjunctive `decesserit` ('although he should die'). The three subject nouns (filius familias, pupillus, seruus) correspond respectively to the predicate complements indicating their change of status (sui iuris, pubes, liber factus).
  3. §28.1.19.prnullae sunt — The adjective `nullus` is used here in the legal sense of 'null and void' or 'legally non-existent'. It reflects the principle (Regula Catiana) that a transaction which is invalid from the beginning due to lack of capacity cannot be validated by subsequent events.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §28.1.19.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:28.1.19.pr

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