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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §5.3.45.pr

Condemnation and Fraud Liability for Standing Trial without Possession

Passage 1043 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Discusses how a person who presents himself for a lawsuit without possessing the property is condemned, the exception when the plaintiff knew this from the start, and the estimation of liability under the fraud clause.

[CELSUS libro quarto digestorum. ] §5.3.45.prQui se liti optulit, cum rem non possideret, condemnatur, nisi si euidentissimis probationibus possit ostendere actorem ab initio litis scire eum non possidere: quippe isto modo non est deceptus et qui se hereditatis petitioni optulit ex doli clausula tenetur: aestimari scilicet oportebit, quanti eius interfuit non decipi.
[CELSUS in his fourth book of the Digests.] He who has offered himself for a lawsuit, although he did not possess the property, is condemned, unless he can show by the most evident proofs that the plaintiff knew from the beginning of the lawsuit that he did not possess it: for in this way the plaintiff has not been deceived, and he who has offered himself for a petition of inheritance is held liable under the clause of fraud; it will, of course, have to be estimated how much it concerned him not to be deceived.

Notes

  1. §5.3.45.prquanti eius interfuit non decipi — An impersonal construction with interest. The infinitive non decipi (not to be deceived) serves as the subject, eius (referring to the plaintiff) is the genitive of the person concerned, and quanti is the genitive of value or degree meaning "how much." The whole phrase means "how much it concerned the plaintiff not to be deceived" and acts as an indirect question dependent on the infinitive aestimari (to be estimated).
  2. §5.3.45.prQui se liti optulit — The subject of the main clause. The phrase liti se offerre means "to offer oneself to a lawsuit," referring to intentionally appearing as a defendant despite lacking proper standing (i.e., not possessing the property).

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §5.3.45.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:5.3.45.pr

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