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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §9.4.11.pr

Theft by Slave in Bona Fide Possession and Noxal Surrender

Passage 1592 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

The passage discusses the liability for theft committed by a slave in the hands of a bona fide possessor, and how the plaintiff is protected against the true owner's claim after a noxal surrender.

[ULPIANUS libro septimo ad edictum. ] §9.4.11.prBona fide serui possessor eius nomine furti actione tenebitur, dominus non tenetur.
[ULPIAN, Book 7 on the Edict] A bona fide possessor of a slave will be liable to an action for theft on his account, but the owner is not liable.
sed noxae dedendo non facit quidem actoris: cum autem coeperit istum seruum dominus uindicare, doli exceptione summouebitur uel officio iudicis consequetur, ut indemnis maneat.
However, by surrendering him for damage, he does not indeed make him the property of the plaintiff; but when the owner begins to claim that slave, he will be barred by the plea of fraud, or the plaintiff will obtain, through the office of the judge, that he remains indemnified.

Notes

  1. §9.4.11.practoris — A possessive genitive with 'facit', meaning 'to make the property of the plaintiff'. Since a bona fide possessor lacks the authority to transfer ownership, his act of noxal surrender cannot make the plaintiff the true owner.
  2. §9.4.11.prconsequetur — Third-person singular future of the deponent verb 'consequor'. The subject shifts from 'dominus' (the subject of 'summouebitur') to the plaintiff ('actor'). It indicates that the plaintiff will obtain, through the office of the judge ('officio iudicis'), the result of remaining indemnified ('ut indemnis maneat').

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §9.4.11.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:9.4.11.pr

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