Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §47.10.33.pr

Immunity of Magistrates Acting to Uphold Public Dignity

Passage 8035 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The text explains that a magistrate is not held liable under the action for injury for actions performed in accordance with good customs to revere the state, even if they result in an insult, provided the action was done to vindicate public majesty rather than with injurious intent.

[PAULUS libro decimo ad Sabinum. ] §47.10.33.prQuod rei publicae uenerandae causa secundum bonos mores fit, etiamsi ad contumeliam alicuius pertinet, quia tamen non ea mente magistratus facit, ut iniuriam faciat, sed ad uindictam maiestatis publicae respiciat, actione iniuriarum non tenetur.
[PAULUS in the tenth book on Sabinus.] What is done in accordance with good customs for the sake of revering the state, even if it pertains to the insult of someone, yet because the magistrate does it not with the intention that he should commit an injury, but that he should look to the vindication of public majesty, he is not held by the action for injury.

Notes

  1. §47.10.33.prQuod ... fit — The introductory `Quod` is a neuter singular relative pronoun without an antecedent, forming a nominal clause ("what is done") that functions as the direct object of the verb `facit` inside the `quia` clause.
  2. §47.10.33.prrei publicae uenerandae causa — The prepositional ablative `causa` preceded by a genitive means "for the sake of." `uenerandae` is a gerundive agreeing with `rei publicae`, and the whole phrase functions adverbially to express purpose: "for the sake of revering the state."
  3. §47.10.33.prnon ea mente ... ut iniuriam faciat, sed ... respiciat — The phrase `ea mente, ut...` means "with the intention that...". The subjunctive `respiciat` after `sed` is coordinated with `faciat` under the same conjunction `ut`, completing the contrast: "not with the intention that he should commit an injury, but [with the intention] that he should look to..."

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §47.10.33.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:47.10.33.pr

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