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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §44.2.1.pr

Res Judicata Affecting Third Parties: Legacies and Freedom

Passage 7214 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Based on the principle that judgements between certain parties do not affect others, it is argued that actions can be brought under a testament granting freedom or a legacy even if its validity is contested, and that the defeat of a legatee does not prejudice the freedom granted in the same testament.

[ULPIANUS libro secundo ad edictum. ] §44.2.1.prCum res inter alios iudicatae nullum aliis praeiudicium faciant, ex eo testamento, ubi libertas data est uel legato agi potest, licet ruptum, uel irritum aut non iustum dicatur testamentum: nec si superatus fuerit legatarius, praeiudicium libertati fit.
[ULPIANUS libro secundo ad edictum.] Since matters decided between certain parties do not create any prejudice for others, action can be brought on the basis of that testament in which freedom is granted or a legacy is left, even if the testament is said to be broken, or ineffectual, or not lawful; nor, if the legatee should be defeated, does it create a prejudice to freedom.

Notes

  1. 44.2.1.prres inter alios iudicatae — Meaning "matters decided between other parties," representing the relative effect of res iudicata in Roman law, namely that a judgment between certain parties does not prejudice others.
  2. 44.2.1.prlegato — While some manuscripts read the nominative `legatum`, if the transmitted `legato` (ablative or dative) is retained, it can be interpreted either as parallel to `libertas data est` (implying `legatum datum est`), or as part of a double construction: `ex eo testamento ... ubi libertas data est, uel [de] legato agi potest` (action can be brought on the basis of the testament where freedom is granted, or concerning a legacy). This translation assumes the former interpretation based on the parallelism of the legal effects.
  3. 44.2.1.pragi potest — An impersonal construction using the passive infinitive `agi` of the verb `ago` (to bring an action, to litigate), meaning "an action can be brought." The subject is not specified, referring generally to anyone who has a claim under the testament.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §44.2.1.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:44.2.1.pr

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