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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §42.1.35.pr

Reopening of Cases Based on New Documents

Passage 6887 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The Emperors Antoninus and Verus rescribed that, while cases should generally not be reopened on the pretext of new documents, they permit their use in public matters for cause.

[PAPIRIUS IUSTUS constitutionum libro secundo. ] §42.1.35.prImperatores Antoninus et Uerus rescripserunt, quamquam sub obtentu nouorum instrumentorum restitui negotia minime oporteat, tamen in negotio publico ex causa permittere se huiusmodi instrumentis uti.
[PAPIRIUS IUSTUS, in the second book of Constitutions.] The Emperors Antoninus and Verus replied by rescript that, although under the pretext of new documents cases should by no means be reopened, nevertheless in a public matter they permit, for cause, the use of documents of this kind.

Notes

  1. §42.1.35.prquamquam... oporteat — The conjunction quamquam is usually construed with the indicative in classical Latin, but here it takes the subjunctive oporteat (present subjunctive active of the impersonal verb oportet). This reflects the post-classical and juristic tendency to use the subjunctive with quamquam.
  2. §42.1.35.prrestitui negotia — An accusative and infinitive construction acting as the subject of the impersonal verb oporteat. The passive present infinitive restitui has the neuter plural accusative negotia (matters, legal business) as its subject, meaning 'that matters should be reopened'.
  3. §42.1.35.prpermittere se huiusmodi instrumentis uti — The main clause of the indirect speech (accusative and infinitive) introduced by rescripserunt. The accusative pronoun se refers to the Emperors themselves and acts as the subject of the infinitive permittere. Furthermore, permittere takes the infinitive uti (from the deponent utor) as its complement, which in turn governs the ablative object huiusmodi instrumentis.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §42.1.35.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:42.1.35.pr

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