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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §4.8.27.pr-4.8.27.7

Adjournment, Plural Arbitrators, and Termination by Death

Passage 848 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section outlines how an arbitrator may postpone a deadline, the dissolution of a submission by death, the decision-making rules for multiple arbitrators, the consequences of a party's absence or interference, and the requirements for a decision to be validly pronounced.

[ULPIANUS libro tertio decimo ad edictum. ] §4.8.27.prDiem proferre uel praesens uel per nuntium uel per epistulam potest.
[ULPIANUS in his thirteenth book on the Edict.] The arbitrator can postpone the day either in person, or by messenger, or by letter.
§4.8.27.1Si heredis mentio uel ceterorum facta in compromisso non fuerit, morte soluetur compromissum: nec utimur Labeonis sententia, qui existimanit, si arbiter aliquem pecuniam dare iusserit et is decesserit antequam daret, poenam committi, licet heres eius paratus sit offerre.
If no mention of the heir or of others has been made in the submission to arbitration, the submission will be dissolved by death; nor do we follow the opinion of Labeo, who thought that if the arbitrator ordered someone to pay money, and he died before he paid, the penalty is incurred, although his heir is prepared to offer it.
§4.8.27.2Stari autem debet sententiae arbitri, quam de ea re dixerit, siue aequa siue iniqua sit: et sibi imputet qui compromisit.
Moreover, one must abide by the decision of the arbitrator which he has given on the matter, whether it be equitable or inequitable; and he who submitted to arbitration must impute it to himself.
nam et diui Pii rescripto adicitur: 'uel minus probabilem sententiam aequo animo ferre debet’. §4.8.27.3Si plures arbitri fuerint et diuersas sententias dixerint, licebit sententia corum non stari: sed si maior pars consentiat, ea stabitur, alioquin poena committetur.
For indeed, it is added in a rescript of the Divine Pius: 'He ought to bear even a less plausible decision with an equable mind.' If there are several arbitrators and they have delivered different decisions, it will be permissible not to abide by their decision; but if the majority agree, that decision shall be abided by; otherwise, the penalty will be incurred.
inde quaeritur apud Iulianum, si ex tribus arbitris unus quindecim, alius decem, tertius quinque condemnent, qua sententia stetur: et Iulianus scribit quinque debere praestari, quia in hanc summam omnes consenserunt.
Hence the question is asked in Julian, if out of three arbitrators one condemns in fifteen, another in ten, and the third in five, which decision is to be abided by; and Julian writes that five ought to be paid, because all have agreed on this sum.
§4.8.27.4Si quis litigatorum defuerit, quia per eum factum est, quo minus arbitretur, poena committetur.
If any of the litigants fails to appear, since it has been brought about by him that the arbitration cannot take place, the penalty will be incurred.
proinde sententia quidem dicta non coram litigatoribus non ualebit, nisi in compromissis hoc specialiter expressum sit, ut uel uno uel utroque absente sententia promatur: poenam autem is qui defuit committit, quia per eum factum est quo minus arbitretur.
Accordingly, a decision indeed delivered not in the presence of the litigants will not be valid, unless this has been specially expressed in the submission to arbitration, namely, that the decision may be pronounced in the absence of either one or both; but he who failed to appear incurs the penalty, because it was brought about by him that the arbitration could not take place.
§4.8.27.5Coram autem dicere sententiam uidetur, qui sapientibus dicit: ceterum coram furioso uel demente non uidetur dici: item coram pupillo non uideri sententiam dictam, nisi tutor praesens fuit: et ita de his omnibus Iulianus libro quarto digestorum scribit.
Moreover, he is deemed to deliver a decision in someone's presence who delivers it to those of sound mind; otherwise, it is not deemed to be delivered in the presence of a madman or an insane person; likewise, a decision is not deemed to be delivered in the presence of a ward, unless his tutor was present; and Julian writes thus on all these matters in the fourth book of his Digests.
§4.8.27.6Et si quis praesens arbitrum sententiam dicere prohibuit, poena committetur.
And if anyone being present has prevented the arbitrator from delivering his decision, the penalty will be incurred.
§4.8.27.7Sed si poena non fuisset adiceta compromisso, sed simpliciter sententia stari quis promiserit, incerti aduersus cum foret actio.
But if no penalty had been added to the submission to arbitration, but someone has simply promised to abide by the decision, there would be an action for an uncertain amount against him.

Notes

  1. §4.8.27.3sententia corum non stari — An impersonal passive infinitive of the intransitive verb `stare` (to abide by, taking the ablative). The subsequent `ea stabitur` is likewise the third-person singular future passive of `stare`. Together they form impersonal passive constructions: 'that their decision is not abided by' and 'that decision shall be abided by'. `corum` is a manuscript spelling variant of `eorum`.
  2. §4.8.27.4per eum factum est, quo minus arbitretur — A passive construction of `facere/fieri quo minus` (+ subjunctive) expressing prevention or hindrance. `per eum` indicates the agency/cause: 'it was brought about through him that the arbitration could not take place.' `arbitretur` is the third-person singular present subjunctive of the deponent verb `arbitror`, used here either impersonally ('arbitration be conducted') or with the arbitrator as the subject.
  3. §4.8.27.5Coram autem dicere sententiam uidetur, qui sapientibus dicit — `uidetur` is used in a personal construction ('is deemed/seen to') with the subject being the clause `qui sapientibus dicit` (with the antecedent `is` omitted), rather than an impersonal construction with an accusative and infinitive. `sapientibus` is the dative plural masculine of the adjective `sapiens` (wise, sensible) used substantively; in contrast with the subsequent `furioso` (madman) and `demente` (insane person), it refers to 'those of sound mind' or 'persons possessing cognitive capacity.'
  4. §4.8.27.7incerti aduersus cum foret actio — Refers to the 'action for an uncertain amount' (actio incerti). If no penalty is specified, an action is granted to claim uncertain damages caused by non-performance, as in standard breach of contract. `cum` is a manuscript spelling for `eum`, and `foret` is an alternative form of `esset` (imperfect subjunctive), indicating the apodosis of a contrary-to-fact condition.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §4.8.27.pr-4.8.27.7. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:4.8.27.pr-4.8.27.7

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