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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §47.2.38.pr-47.2.38.1

Theft Actions and the Condictio for Free Persons

Passage 7899 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Defines that a mother has no action for theft regarding her stolen son, and that while an action for theft may lie in the case of free persons, a condictio is never available.

[PAULUS libro nono ad Sabinum. ] §47.2.38.prMater filii subrepti furti actionem non habet.
[PAULUS in his ninth book on Sabinus.] A mother does not have an action for theft on account of her stolen son.
§47.2.38.1Liberarum personarum nomine, licet furti actio sit, condictio tamen nusquam est.
In the case of free persons, although there may be an action for theft, nevertheless a condictio is nowhere available.

Notes

  1. §47.2.38.prfilii subrepti — A dominant participle construction (the so-called 'ab urbe condita' construction) consisting of the genitive noun `filii` and the perfect passive participle `subrepti`. It refers to the occurrence of 'the stealing of the son' as the causal background of the theft action.
  2. §47.2.38.1nomine — The ablative `nomine` combined with the genitive `liberarum personarum` functions as a legal idiom meaning 'on account of,' 'in the case of,' or 'under the category of.'
  3. §47.2.38.1condictio — The 'condictio' is a personal action (in personam) for the recovery of property or money. Since a free person is not a thing (res) and cannot be owned, a condictio can never be brought for their recovery.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §47.2.38.pr-47.2.38.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:47.2.38.pr-47.2.38.1

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