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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §48.2.16.pr

Judicial Selection Among Multiple Prospective Accusers

Passage 8143 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

It rules that if multiple prospective accusers appear, the judge must select one suitable person to conduct the prosecution, based on an inquiry and an evaluation of their dignity, interest, age, and character.

[IDEM libro secundo de officio consulis. ] §48.2.16.prSi plures existant, qui eum in publicis iudiciis accusare uolunt, iudex eligere debet eum qui accuset, causa scilicet cognita aestimatis accusatorum personis uel de dignitate, uel ex eo quod interest, uel aetate uel moribus uel alia iusta de causa.
[THE SAME, On the Office of Consul, Book 2] If there should exist several persons who wish to accuse him in public trials, the judge must choose the one who is to accuse, of course after conducting an inquiry and after evaluating the persons of the accusers, whether on the basis of dignity, or because of their interest, or of age, or of character, or for any other just cause.

Notes

  1. §48.2.16.prcausa scilicet cognita — An ablative absolute. The insertion of scilicet (of course, namely) indicates that the judge must not choose arbitrarily, but only after a substantive inquiry into the facts and circumstances of the case.
  2. §48.2.16.preum qui accuset — The subjunctive accuset in the relative clause expresses purpose ('the one to accuse') or characteristic ('the kind of person who should accuse'). It denotes the specific individual selected by the judge to conduct the prosecution on behalf of the public.
  3. §48.2.16.prex eo quod interest — A relative clause with the neuter pronoun eo as antecedent, using the impersonal verb interest (it matters, it concerns). This points to the degree of personal, financial, or legal interest that the prospective accuser has in the prosecution.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §48.2.16.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:48.2.16.pr

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