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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §4.4.16.pr-4.4.16.5

Subsidiary Nature of Restitution and Magistrate Jurisdiction

Passage 718 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Ulpian explains that extraordinary restitution is unnecessary when a party is already protected by ordinary legal measures and that the praetor should not intervene in invalid contracts, while also defining which magistrates have the authority to grant restitution.

[ULPIANUS libro undecimo ad edictum. ] §4.4.16.prIn causae cognitione etiam hoc uersabitur, num forte alia actio possit competere citra in integrum restitutionem.
[ULPIANUS in the eleventh book on the Edict.] In the investigation of the case, this also will be considered, whether by chance some other action can lie without the need for restitution in integrum.
nam si communi auxilio et mero iure munitus sit, non debet ei tribui extraordinarium auxilium: ut puta cum pupillo contractum est sine tutoris auctoritate nec locupletior factus est.
For if he is protected by the ordinary remedy and by the strict law itself, the extraordinary remedy ought not to be granted to him: as, for example, when a contract is made with a pupil without the authority of his tutor, and he has not been made richer.
§4.4.16.1Item relatum est apud Labeonem, si minor circumscriptus societatem coierit uel etiam donationis causa, nullam esse societatem nec inter maiores quidem et ideo cessare partes praetoris: idem et Ofilius respondit: satis enim ipso iure munitus est.
Likewise, it is reported in Labeo that if a minor, having been deceived, has entered into a partnership, or even for the sake of a donation, there is no partnership, not even between the adults, and therefore the function of the praetor ceases. Ofilius also gave the same opinion; for he is sufficiently protected by the law itself.
§4.4.16.2Pomponius quoque refert libro uicensimo octauo, cum quidam heres rogatus esset fratris filiae complures res dare ea condicione, ut, si sine liberis decessisset, restitueret eas heredi et haec defuncto herede heredi eius cauisset se restituturam, Aristonem putasse in integrum restituendam.
Pomponius also reports in his twenty-eighth book, when a certain heir had been requested to give several things to his brother's daughter on the condition that, if she should die without children, she should restore them to the heir, and she, after the death of the heir, had given security to his heir that she would restore them, Aristo thought that she ought to be restored in integrum.
sed et illud Pomponius adicit, quod potuit incerti condici haec cautio etiam a maiore, non enim ipso iure, sed per condictionem munitus est.
But Pomponius also adds this, that this security could be recovered by a condictio of an uncertain thing even by an adult; for he is protected not by the law itself, but by a condictio.
§4.4.16.3Et generaliter probandum est, ubi contractus non ualet, pro certo praetorem se non debere interponere.
And generally it is to be approved that, where a contract is invalid, it is certain that the praetor ought not to interpose himself.
§4.4.16.4Idem Pomponius ait in pretio emptionis et uenditionis naturaliter licere contrahentibus se circumuenire.
The same Pomponius says that, in the price of buying and selling, it is naturally permitted for the contracting parties to circumvent one another.
§4.4.16.5Nunc uidendum, qui in integrum restituere possunt.
Now we must see who can restore in integrum.
et tam praefectus urbi quam alii magistratus pro iurisdictione sua restituere in integrum possunt, tam in aliis causis quam contra sententiam suam.
And both the prefect of the city and other magistrates can, according to their jurisdiction, restore in integrum, as well in other cases as against their own judgment.

Notes

  1. §4.4.16.prcitra in integrum restitutionem — The preposition `citra` takes the accusative and is used here in the sense of 'without' or 'short of' (equivalent to `sine`), indicating that if protection is available through ordinary civil actions, one does not need to resort to the extraordinary remedy of restitution in integrum.
  2. §4.4.16.1uel etiam donationis causa — The verb phrase `societatem coierit` ('entered into a partnership') is understood to apply here as well, meaning 'or also [entered into a partnership] for the sake of a donation.' This refers to entering a partnership with the intention of conferring a unilateral benefit without consideration.
  3. §4.4.16.2Aristonem putasse in integrum restituendam — The gerundive `restituendam` (feminine accusative singular) forms an accusative and infinitive construction with an omitted subject pronoun `eam` (referring to `fratris filiam`, the brother's daughter) and the omitted copula `esse` (i.e., `putasse [eam] in integrum restituendam [esse]`).
  4. §4.4.16.2potuit incerti condici haec cautio — `condici` is the present passive infinitive of `condicere` ('to bring an action for recovery'). Combined with `potuit`, it means 'this security could be recovered.' `incerti` (of an uncertain thing) is a genitive defining the object of the recovery action (condictio incerti).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §4.4.16.pr-4.4.16.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:4.4.16.pr-4.4.16.5

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