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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §47.1.2.pr-47.1.2.6

Concurrence of Delicts and Non-Extinction of Actions

Passage 7859 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section explains the concurrence of liability when multiple delicts are committed by the same person, illustrating through various cases the principle that one act does not excuse or extinguish liability for another.

[IDEM libro quadragensimo tertio ad Sabinum. ] §47.1.2.prNumquam plura delicta concurrentia faciunt, ut ullius impunitas detur: neque enim delictum ob aliud delictum minuit poenam.
[THE SAME, On Sabinus, Book 43.] Multiple concurrent delicts never bring it about that impunity is granted to any of them; for one delict does not diminish the penalty on account of another delict.
§47.1.2.1Qui igitur hominem subripuit et occidit, quia subripuit, furti, quia occidit, Aquilia tenetur, neque altera harum actionum alteram consumit.
Therefore, he who has stolen and killed a slave is liable for theft because he stole, and under the Aquilian Law because he killed; and neither of these actions consumes the other.
§47.1.2.2Idem dicendum, si rapuit et occidit: nam et ui bonorum raptorum et Aquilia tenebitur.
The same must be said if he has robbed and killed; for he will be liable both for goods taken by force and under the Aquilian Law.
§47.1.2.3Quaesitum est, si condictus fuerit ex causa furtiua, an nihilo minus lege Aquilia agi possit.
The question was asked whether, if a condictio has been brought on account of theft, an action can nonetheless be brought under the Aquilian Law.
et scripsit Pomponius agi posse, quia alterius aestimationis est legis Aquiliae actio, alterius condictio ex causa furtiua: namque Aquilia eam aestimationem complectitur, quanti eo anno plurimi fuit, condictio autem ex causa furtiua non egreditur retrorsum iudicii accipiendi tempus.
And Pomponius wrote that it can be brought, because the action under the Aquilian Law is for one estimation, and the condictio on account of theft is for another; for the Aquilian action embraces that valuation of how much it was worth at its highest during that year, whereas the condictio on account of theft does not go backward beyond the time of accepting the trial.
sed si seruus sit, qui haec admisit, ex quacumque actione noxae fuerit deditus, perempta est altera actio.
But if it is a slave who committed these acts, once he has been surrendered as noxal under either action, the other action is extinguished.
§47.1.2.4Item si quis subreptum flagello ceciderit, duabus actionibus tenetur furti et iniuriarum: et si forte hunc eundem occiderit, tribus actionibus tenebitur.
Likewise, if anyone scourges with a whip a slave whom he has stolen, he is liable to two actions, for theft and for injuries; and if by chance he kills this same slave, he will be liable to three actions.
§47.1.2.5Item si quis ancillam alienam subripuit et flagitauerit, utraque actione tenebitur, nam et serui corrupti agi poterit et furti.
Likewise, if anyone has stolen another's female slave and solicited her, he will be liable to both actions; for an action can be brought both for corrupting a slave and for theft.
§47.1.2.6Item si quis seruum uulnerauit, quem subripuerat, aeque duae actiones locum habebunt Aquiliae et furti.
Likewise, if anyone has wounded a slave whom he had stolen, equally two actions will lie, under the Aquilian Law and for theft.

Notes

  1. §47.1.2.1furti, quia occidit, Aquilia tenetur — Illustrates the variation of cases governed by the verb `tenetur` (is held liable). `furti` is a genitive of liability or charge, whereas `Aquilia` is an ablative of means or authority with the noun `actione` or `lege` omitted.
  2. §47.1.2.3noxae fuerit deditus — The noun `noxa` (harm, delict) acts as a dative of purpose or effect with the passive form of `dedere` (to surrender), forming the technical legal idiom for noxal surrender, whereby an owner escapes personal liability by delivering the wrongdoing slave to the victim.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §47.1.2.pr-47.1.2.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:47.1.2.pr-47.1.2.6

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