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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §4.3.11.pr-4.3.11.1

Barring the Action for Fraud Based on Status or Rank

Passage 672 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

It is explained that the action for fraud (actio de dolo), due to its infamous character, should not be granted in certain status relationships or between persons of widely different social standing, and an alternative remedy with moderated terms is proposed.

[ULPIANUS libro undecimo ad edictum. ] §4.3.11.prnon debet dari.
[ULPIAN, book eleven on the Edict.] ought not to be granted.
§4.3.11.1Et quibusdam personis non dabitur, ut puta liberis uel libertis aduersus parentes patronosue, cum sit famosa.
And it will not be granted to certain persons, as for example to children or freedmen against parents or patrons, since it entails infamy.
sed nec humili aduersus eum qui dignitate excellet debet dari: puta plebeio aduersus consularem receptae auctoritatis, uel luxurioso atque prodigo aut alias uili aduersus hominem uitae emendatioris.
But neither ought it to be granted to a person of humble station against one who excels in dignity: for instance, to a plebeian against a consular of established authority, or to a profligate and spendthrift, or someone otherwise of low character, against a man of more upright life.
et ita Labeo.
And so Labeo holds.
quid ergo est? in horum persona dicendum est in factum uerbis temperandam actionem dandam, ut bonae fidei mentio fiat,
What then is the position? In the case of these persons, it must be said that an action on the facts, moderated in its terms, should be granted, so that mention of good faith may be made,

Notes

  1. §4.3.11.1cum sit famosa — The conjunction cum introduces a causal clause with the subjunctive sit. The subject of the adjective famosa (infamous, involving infamy) is the implied actio de dolo (action for fraud). This explains why the action is restricted against superiors, as a judgment against the defendant entails infamy.
  2. §4.3.11.1in factum uerbis temperandam actionem dandam — An accusative with infinitive construction (with ellipsis of esse) dependent on the impersonal dicendum est. The subject is actionem, and the predicates are dandam [esse] and temperandam [esse]. The phrase in factum modifies actionem, indicating an action on the facts (actio in factum), while uerbis temperandam (moderated in its terms) functions as a predicate adjective explaining that the wording of the formula should be softened to avoid infamy.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §4.3.11.pr-4.3.11.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:4.3.11.pr-4.3.11.1

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