Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §5.1.62.pr

Necessity of Distinct Roles as Petitioner and Possessor

Passage 943 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The passage argues that a lawsuit can only be resolved if one party assumes the role of the petitioner (bearing the burden of proof) and the other assumes the role of the possessor (enjoying the advantage of possession).

[IDEM libro trigensimo nono ad edictum. ] §5.1.62.prInter litigantes non aliter lis expediri potest, quam si alter petitor, alter possessor sit: esse enim debet qui onera petitoris sustineat et qui commodo possessoris fungatur.

[THE SAME, on the Edict, Book XXXIX.] Between litigants, a lawsuit cannot otherwise be resolved than if one is the petitioner and the other is the possessor; for there must be someone to bear the burdens of a petitioner and someone to enjoy the advantage of a possessor.

Notes

5.1.62.prqui onera petitoris sustineat et qui commodo possessoris fungatur — The verbs sustineat and fungatur in the relative clauses introduced by qui are in the subjunctive mood (present) to denote characteristic or requirement ("someone of such a nature as to..."). Additionally, the deponent verb fungor governs the ablative case, which is why the noun commodum (advantage) appears in the ablative form commodo.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §5.1.62.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:5.1.62.pr

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