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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §39.6.32.pr

Perfection of Gift Mortis Causa and Donor's Death

Passage 6282 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This text clarifies that a donation mortis causa is not considered legally perfected until the donor's death actually ensues.

[ULPIANUS libro septuagensimo sexto ad edictum. ] §39.6.32.prNon uidetur perfecta donatio mortis causa facta, antequam mors insequatur.
[ULPIANUS, on the Edict, book 76.] A donation made mortis causa is not deemed to be perfected before death ensues.

Notes

  1. §39.6.32.prperfecta — Meaning 'perfected' or 'fully effective'. It indicates that a donation mortis causa remains revocable during the donor's lifetime and is only 'perfected' (becomes irrevocable and final) upon death. It is a nominative complement agreeing with the subject `donatio`, with an omitted copula `esse` understood (forming the infinitive phrase `perfecta esse` with `uidetur`).
  2. §39.6.32.prantequam mors insequatur — The clause introduced by `antequam` takes the subjunctive present `insequatur`. Rather than a mere chronological sequence of facts (which would take the indicative), the subjunctive is used to express expectation—waiting for the condition of death to be fulfilled—or a general, hypothetical prerequisite.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §39.6.32.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:39.6.32.pr

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