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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §9.4.34.pr

Direct Action against an Undefended Delinquent Son

Passage 1615 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This section states that if a son under power is not defended by anyone for a delict, the action is granted directly against the son himself.

[IULIANUS libro quarto ad Urseium Ferocem. ] §9.4.34.prquotiens enim nemo filium familias ex causa delicti defendit, in eum iudicium datur.
[JULIANUS, on Urseius Ferox, Book IV.] For whenever no one defends a son under power on account of a delict, an action is granted against him.

Notes

  1. §9.4.34.prfilium familias — The word familias is an archaic genitive singular form (-as) of the first-declension noun familia, preserved in the formulaic expression filius familias (a son under power).
  2. §9.4.34.prin eum — The pronoun eum in 'against him' (in eum) refers back to the filium familias. If the person holding power (such as the paterfamilias) does not undertake the defense of the son, the son himself becomes the defendant in the action. This instantiates the principle mentioned in 9.4.33.pr that a free person under power must be granted the opportunity to defend himself.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §9.4.34.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:9.4.34.pr

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