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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §47.20.3.pr-47.20.3.3

Subsidiarity, Applicable Acts, and Penalties for Stellionatus

Passage 8097 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This text provides rules on the prosecution procedure for stellionatus (fraud), the specific types of deceitful acts to which it applies, its nature as a subsidiary crime, and the penalties based on the defendant's social status.

[IDEM libro octauo de officio proconsulis. ] §47.20.3.prStellionatus accusatio ad praesidis cognitionem spectat.
[THE SAME, in the eighth book on the office of proconsul.] The accusation of stellionatus falls under the jurisdiction of the governor.
§47.20.3.1Stellionatum autem obici posse his, qui dolo quid fecerunt, sciendum est, scilicet si aliud crimen non sit quod obiciatur: quod enim in priuatis iudiciis est de dolo actio, hoc in criminibus stellionatus persecutio.
Moreover, it must be known that stellionatus can be charged against those who have done something with malice, provided of course that there is no other crime to be charged; for the relation that the action on dolus has in private trials is the same as that which the prosecution of stellionatus has in criminal cases.
ubicumque igitur titulus criminis deficit, illic stellionatus obiciemus.
Therefore, wherever the specific title of a crime is lacking, there we shall charge stellionatus.
maxime autem in his locum habet: si quis forte rem alii obligatam dissimulata obligatione per calliditatem alii distraxerit uel permutauerit uel in solutum dederit: nam hae omnes species stellionatum continent.
This, however, especially takes place in the following cases: if someone, for instance, should craftily sell, exchange, or give in payment to one person a thing pledged to another, while concealing the pledge; for all these species comprise stellionatus.
sed et si quis merces supposuerit uel obligatas auerterit uel si corruperit, aeque stellionatus reus erit.
But also, if someone should substitute goods, or embezzle pledged goods, or damage them, he will likewise be guilty of stellionatus.
item si quis imposturam fecerit uel collusionem in necem alterius, stellionatus poterit postulari.
Similarly, if someone has committed a fraud, or collusion to the ruin of another, he can be prosecuted for stellionatus.
et ut generaliter dixerim, deficiente titulo criminis hoc crimen locum habet, nec est opus species enumerare.
And to speak generally, where the specific title of a crime is lacking, this crime takes place, and there is no need to enumerate the species.
§47.20.3.2Poena autem stellionatus nulla legitima est, cum nec legitimum crimen sit.
Furthermore, there is no statutory penalty for stellionatus, since it is not a statutory crime either.
solent autem ex hoc extra ordinem plecti, dummodo non debeat opus metalli haec poena in plebeis egredi.
They are, however, usually punished extraordinarily for this, provided that this penalty for plebeians must not exceed labor in the mines.
in his autem, qui sunt in aliquo honore positi, ad tempus relegatio uel ab ordine motio remittenda est.
But in the case of those who are placed in some position of honor, temporary relegation or removal from their order must be referred to a higher authority.
§47.20.3.3Qui merces suppressit, specialiter hoc crimine postulari potest.
He who has suppressed goods can be prosecuted specifically under this crime.

Notes

  1. §47.20.3.2remittenda est — The verb `remittere` is interpreted here not as 'to remit (a penalty)' but as a technical legal term meaning 'to refer' the decision regarding the punishment of privileged classes (honestiores) to the emperor or a higher authority, rather than the governor (praeses) deciding it himself.
  2. §47.20.3.1quod enim in priuatis iudiciis est de dolo actio, hoc in criminibus stellionatus persecutio — This is a correlative structure `quod ... hoc ...`, with the verb `est` omitted after `persecutio` in the second clause. It points out the similarity in the subsidiary nature of the actions: the role that the action on dolus (actio de dolo) plays in private law corresponds to the role of the prosecution (persecutio) of stellionatus in criminal law.
  3. §47.20.3.1ut generaliter dixerim — A parenthetical use of the perfect subjunctive `dixerim` (restrictive subjunctive) meaning 'to speak generally' or 'to put it generally,' indicating a limitation on the speaker's statement.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §47.20.3.pr-47.20.3.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:47.20.3.pr-47.20.3.3

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