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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §3.3.8.pr-3.3.8.3

Procurator Appointment by Sons and Soldiers' Limits

Passage 491 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This passage outlines the requirements for filii and filiae familias to appoint litigation procurators, explains the restrictions and exceptions regarding active soldiers serving as procurators, and discusses the praetor's power to compel an appointed procurator to undertake a trial along with its excusable grounds.

[IDEM libro octauo ad edictum. ] §3.3.8.prFilius familias et ad agendum dare procuratorem potest, si qua sit actio, qua ipse experiri potest: non solum si castrense peculium habeat, sed et quiuis filius familias: ut puta iniuriam passus dabit ad iniuriarum actionem, si forte neque pater praesens sit nec patris procurator uelit experiri, et erit iure ab ipso filio familias procurator datus.
[THE SAME, in the eighth book on the Edict.] A filius familias can also appoint a procurator to bring an action, if there is any action which he himself can bring; and this is true not only if he has a castrense peculium, but of any filius familias whatsoever. For example, one who has suffered an injury will appoint a procurator for the action for injuries, if by chance his father is not present and his father's procurator is unwilling to bring the action; and the procurator will be lawfully appointed by the filius familias himself.
hoc amplius Iulianus scribit et si filio familias patri per filium eius in eadem potestate manentem fiat iniuria neque auus praesens sit, posse patrem procuratorem dare ad ulciscendam iniuriam, quem nepos absentis passus est.
In addition to this, Julian writes that if an injury is done to a father who is a filius familias through his son who remains under the same power, and the grandfather is not present, the father can appoint a procurator to avenge the injury which the grandson of the absent person suffered.
ad defendendum quoque poterit filius familias procuratorem dare.
A filius familias will also be able to appoint a procurator for defense.
sed et filia familias poterit dare procuratorem ad iniuriarum actionem.
But a filia familias will also be able to appoint a procurator for the action for injuries.
nam quod ad dotis exactionem cum patre dat procuratorem, superuacuum esse Ualerius Seuerus scribit, cum sufficiat patrem dare ex filiae uoluntate.
For Valerius Severus writes that her appointing a procurator together with her father for the recovery of her dowry is superfluous, since it is sufficient for the father to appoint one in accordance with the daughter's wish.
sed puto, si forte pater absens sit uel suspectae uitae, quo casu solet filiae competere de dote actio, posse eam procuratorem dare.
But I think that if by chance the father is absent or leads a suspect life, in which case the action for dowry usually belongs to the daughter, she can appoint a procurator.
ipse quoque filius procurator dari poterit et ad agendum et ad defendendum.
The son himself can also be appointed as a procurator both for bringing an action and for defense.
§3.3.8.1Inuitus procurator non solet dari.
An unwilling person is not usually appointed as a procurator.
inuitum accipere debemus non eum tantum qui contradicit, uerum eum quoque qui consensisse non probatur.
We must understand an unwilling person to be not only one who objects, but also one who is not proved to have consented.
§3.3.8.2Ueterani procuratores fieri possunt: milites autem nec si uelit aduersarius procuratores dari possunt, nisi hoc tempore litis contestatae quocumque casu praetermissum est: excepto eo qui in rem suam procurator datus est, uel qui communem causam omnis sui numeri persequatur uel suscipit, quibus talis procuratio concessa est.
Veterans can become procurators; but active soldiers cannot be appointed as procurators, even if the adversary so wishes, unless this was overlooked for some reason at the time of the joinder of issue (litis contestatae). Excepted is one who is appointed as a procurator in his own interest, or one who prosecutes or undertakes a common cause of his entire unit, to whom such procuration has been granted.
§3.3.8.3'Procuratorem ad litem suscipiendam datum, pro quo consentiente dominus iudicatum solui exposuit' praetor ait 'iudicium accipere cogam'. Uerum ex causa non debebit compelli.
"A procurator appointed to undertake a lawsuit, for whom, with his consent, the principal has provided security for the payment of the judgment," says the praetor, "I shall compel to accept the trial." However, he ought not to be compelled if there is a just cause.
Ut puta inimicitiae capitales interuenerunt inter ipsum procuratorem et dominum: scribit Iulianus debere in procuratorem denegari actionem.
For example, if capital enmity has arisen between the procurator himself and the principal; Julian writes that the action against the procurator ought to be denied.
item si dignitas accesserit procuratori: uel rei publicae causa afuturus sit:
Likewise, if a high dignity has accrued to the procurator, or if he is to be absent on public business.

Notes

  1. §3.3.8.prquem nepos absentis passus est — The relative pronoun `quem` is masculine accusative singular and does not agree in gender with its logical antecedent `iniuriam` (injury, feminine). This is either due to the attraction of gender by the following subject `nepos` (grandson, masculine) or a scribal error for `quam`. It is interpreted as 'the injury which the grandson of the absent person suffered.'
  2. §3.3.8.prcum patre dat procuratorem — The clause `quod... dat` starting with `nam` forms a noun clause meaning 'the fact that...,' which serves as the subject of the accusative-with-infinitive construction `superuacuum esse` (is superfluous). `cum patre` indicates 'appointing a procurator together with the father.'
  3. §3.3.8.2nisi hoc tempore litis contestatae quocumque casu praetermissum est — An exceptional provision to the prohibition of active soldiers acting as procurators. The indicative perfect `praetermissum est` introduced by `nisi` indicates that if this prohibition was overlooked for some reason (quocumque casu) at the stage of the joinder of issue (litis contestatio), the appointment is exceptionally allowed to stand.
  4. §3.3.8.3Procuratorem ad litem suscipiendam datum — An accusative noun phrase in the quotation of the praetor's edict. The entire phrase `Procuratorem... datum`, which includes the gerundive `suscipiendam`, serves as the direct object of the main verb `cogam` (I shall compel), with the object infinitive `iudicium accipere` (to accept the trial) depending on it.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §3.3.8.pr-3.3.8.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:3.3.8.pr-3.3.8.3

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