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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §34.5.24.pr

Favorable Interpretation of Ambiguity and Testator Intention

Passage 5288 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Marcellus states the principle that when a testament is written ambiguously or erroneously, it should be interpreted generously and in accordance with the testator's likely intention.

[MARCELLUS libro undecimo digestorum. ] §34.5.24.prCum in testamento ambigue aut etiam perperam scriptum est, benigne interpretari et secundum id, quod credibile est cogitatum, credendum est.
[MARCELLUS, from the eleventh book of the Digests.] When it is written ambiguously or even erroneously in a testament, it should be interpreted generously, and one must believe according to that which is credible to have been intended.

Notes

  1. §34.5.24.printerpretari — Present infinitive of the deponent verb `interpretor`. Here, an auxiliary or impersonal verb of obligation like `debere` or `oportet` is understood, or it expresses obligation ('should be interpreted') in coordination with the subsequent `credendum est`.
  2. §34.5.24.prquod credibile est cogitatum — `quod` is a relative pronoun with `id` as its antecedent. `cogitatum` stands for `cogitatum esse` (perfect passive infinitive) with `esse` omitted, meaning 'that which is credible to have been thought (intended)'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §34.5.24.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:34.5.24.pr

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