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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §50.17.172.pr-50.17.172.1

Interpretation of Ambiguous Sales Terms and Claims

Passage 9232 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This text rules that an ambiguous agreement in a contract of sale must be interpreted against the seller, and that an ambiguous claim in litigation must be understood so as to preserve the plaintiff's rights.

[IDEM libro quinto ad Plautium. ] §50.17.172.prIn contrahenda uenditione ambiguum pactum contra uenditorem interpretandum est.
[THE SAME, in the fifth book on Plautius.] In contracting a sale, an ambiguous agreement is to be interpreted against the seller.
§50.17.172.1Ambigua autem intentio ita accipienda est, ut res salua actori sit.
However, an ambiguous statement of claim must be so understood that the matter is preserved for the plaintiff.

Notes

  1. 50.17.172.prIn contrahenda uenditione — A gerundive construction with the preposition in and the ablative noun and gerundive (contrahenda uenditione). Instead of using a gerund with an object, Latin prefers to make the gerundive agree with the noun, meaning 'in contracting a sale'.
  2. 50.17.172.1ut res salua actori sit — The ut clause with the subjunctive present (sit) is correlative with the adverb ita. It expresses result or purpose, meaning 'so that the matter or right (res) remains secure and preserved (salua) for the plaintiff (actori, dative of advantage)'.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §50.17.172.pr-50.17.172.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:50.17.172.pr-50.17.172.1

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