Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §37.10.2.pr

Timing of Inquiries into Child Substitution after the Mother Dies

Passage 5817 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

If a mother suspected of child substitution dies, the inquiry proceeds immediately if accomplices survive; however, if all accomplices have died and no one can be punished, the inquiry is deferred until puberty under the Carbonian edict.

[MARCIANUS libro quarto decimo institutionum. ] §37.10.2.prLicet mulier, quae partum subiecisse dicitur, decesserit, tamen, si participes maleficii sint, in praesenti cognoscendum est.

[MARCIANUS libro quarto decimo institutionum.] Even if the woman who is said to have substituted a child has died, nevertheless, if there are accomplices in the wrongdoing, the inquiry must be made at present.

si autem nemo sit qui puniri possit, quia omnes participes facinoris forte decesserint, secundum Carbonianum edictum in tempus pubertatis differenda cognitio est.

But if there is no one who can be punished, because all the accomplices in the crime have perhaps died, the inquiry must be deferred until the time of puberty in accordance with the Carbonian edict.

Notes

37.10.2.prlicet ... decesserit — The concessive conjunction `licet` takes the subjunctive (here the perfect subjunctive `decesserit`) to form a clause meaning 'even if' or 'although'. Its force is reinforced by `tamen` ('nevertheless') in the main clause.
37.10.2.prcognoscendum est — An impersonal passive periphrastic construction using the gerundive to express obligation ('the inquiry must be made'). The dative of agent (e.g., the judge) is omitted as understood from the context.
37.10.2.prqui puniri possit — A relative clause of characteristic defining the antecedent `nemo`. The verb `possit` is in the subjunctive to denote a person of such a nature ('anyone who can be punished').

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §37.10.2.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:37.10.2.pr

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