Humanitext Reader

Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.16.10.pr

Definition and Scope of Creditors Having Right of Action

Passage 8824 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section defines 'creditors' as those who can pursue a debt through any action, whether under civil or honorarian law, excluding natural obligations but extending to all types of contracts beyond simple loans.

[IDEM libro sexto ad edictum. ] §50.16.10.pr'Creditores' accipiendos esse constat eos, quibus debetur ex quacumque actione uel persecutione, uel iure ciuili sine ulla exceptionis perpetuae remotione uel honorario uel extraordinario, siue pure siue in diem uel sub condicione.
[THE SAME, in the sixth book on the Edict.] It is established that those are to be understood as 'creditors' to whom a debt is owed under any action or prosecution, whether under civil law (without any removal by a perpetual exception), honorarian law, or extraordinary procedure, and whether unconditionally, on a specified day, or under condition.
quod si natura debeatur, non sunt loco creditorum.
But if the debt is owed only naturally, they are not in the position of creditors.
sed si non sit mutua pecunia, sed contractus, creditores accipiuntur:
However, even if it is not a loan of money but another contract, they are accepted as creditors:

Notes

  1. 50.16.10.pr'Creditores' accipiendos esse constat eos — The impersonal verb 'constat' (it is established) takes an accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction, where 'eos' is the subject of the passive periphrastic infinitive 'accipiendos esse' (must be understood/accepted as).
  2. 50.16.10.prsine ulla exceptionis perpetuae remotione — The phrase modifies the preceding 'iure civili' (under civil law), meaning that the civil law obligation must not be vulnerable to being barred or removed by any perpetual exception (exceptio perpetua).
  3. 50.16.10.prnatura debeatur — 'natura' is an ablative of manner or cause (by nature/naturally). 'debeatur' is an impersonal subjunctive present passive. This refers to a 'natural obligation' (obligatio naturalis), which lacks legal enforceability and thus does not place the holder in the legal position of a creditor.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.16.10.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.16.10.pr

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