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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.1.10.pr

Absence of Parties and Summons in Criminal Trials

Passage 8123 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section discusses the conditions under which an excuse for an absent party is admitted after a trial has begun, and the procedural limitations on condemning an absent accused or ruling on an absent accuser's malicious prosecution.

[PAPINIANUS libro secundo definitionum. ] §48.1.10.prInter accusatorem et reum cognitione suscepta excusatio pro absente iustis rationibus admittitur: nec per triduum per singulos dies ter citatus reus damnetur uel de accusatoris absentis praesente reo calumnia pronuntietur.
[PAPINIANUS in his second book of Definitions.] Once the trial has been undertaken between the accuser and the accused, an excuse for an absent person is admitted for just reasons; nor should the accused be condemned unless he has been summoned three times a day for three consecutive days, nor should a decision on malicious prosecution by the absent accuser be pronounced while the accused is present.

Notes

  1. §48.1.10.prcognitione suscepta — Ablative absolute construction consisting of the noun cognitio and the participle suscepta, indicating the state or temporal point when the trial/examination has been officially undertaken.
  2. §48.1.10.prcitatus — A perfect participle modifying the accused (reus). Used in conjunction with the negative particle nec at the beginning of the clause, it functions as a practical condition ("unless he has been summoned...").
  3. §48.1.10.prde accusatoris absentis praesente reo calumnia pronuntietur — The verb pronuntietur functions as an impersonal passive (with de + ablative). praesente reo is an ablative absolute meaning "while the accused is present." The clause regulates the pronouncement of judgment regarding the malicious prosecution (calumnia) by the absent accuser (accusatoris absentis).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.1.10.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.1.10.pr

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