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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §5.1.66.pr

Principle of Favorable Interpretation in Ambiguous Expressions

Passage 947 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

States the interpretive principle that if a person's expression of intent or speech is ambiguous, the interpretation more advantageous to them must be adopted.

[IDEM libro secundo disputationum. ] §5.1.66.prSi quis intentione ambigua uel oratione usus sit, id quod utilius ei est accipiendum est.
[THE SAME, in the Second Book of Disputations.] If anyone has used an ambiguous expression of intent or speech, that which is more advantageous to him must be accepted.

Notes

  1. §5.1.66.printentione ambigua uel oratione — These ablatives serve as the object of the deponent verb usus sit (from utor). Here, intentio refers to the expression of intention, and oratio refers to the spoken or written words.
  2. §5.1.66.praccipiendum est — This is a passive periphrastic construction (gerundive + est) expressing obligation or necessity, agreeing with the subject clause id quod utilius ei est.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §5.1.66.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:5.1.66.pr

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