De in integrum restitutionibus
(Concerning Complete Restitution.)
1Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book XI. The usefulness of this Title needs no commendation, for it speaks for itself. Under it the Prætor in many ways comes to the relief of parties who have made mistakes, or have been cheated, and who, through intimidation, cunning, youth, or absence, have been overreached.
3Modestinus, Pandects, Book VIII. All persons are promised complete restitution by the Prætor when proper cause is shown; so that he may examine the justice of the case, and ascertain whether it belongs to that class to which he can afford relief.
4Callistratus, Monitory Edict, Book I. I know that it has been held by some authorities that a party who applies for complete restitution shall not be heard where some very insignificant affair or sum is involved, if this would prejudice the hearing of some more important matter, or the collection of a larger sum.
5Paulus, On the Edict, Book VII. Ad Dig. 4,1,5 pr.ROHGE, Bd. 14 (1875), Nr. 40, S. 110: Vermengung verschiedener Pfandobjecte desselben und verschiedener Gläubiger.No one is held to be barred to whom the Prætor promises to grant complete restitution.
6Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book XIII. Complete restitution may be granted to the successors of minors, as well as to the successors of those who are absent on public business, and, in fact, of all those who were themselves entitled to complete restitution; and this has very frequently been decided. Therefore, an heir, or a person to whom an estate has been delivered, or the successor of the son of a family who was a soldier, can obtain complete restitution. Hence if a minor of either sex is reduced to slavery, complete restitution will be granted to his or her master, within the time prescribed by law. But if it should happen that such a minor was overreached with reference to an estate which he had entered upon, Julianus says, in the Seventeenth Book of the Digest, that his master will have the right to reject it, not only on the ground of youth, but even where youth cannot be alleged; because patrons have used the benefit of the laws not for the sake of obtaining an estate, but for the purpose of revenge.
7Marcellus, Digest, Book III. The Divine Antoninus made the following statement in a Rescript addressed to Marcius Avitus, the Prætor, on the subject of relieving a person who had lost his property while absent: “Although changes should not be readily made in matters which have been solemnly established, still, where equity clearly demands it, relief must be granted; and therefore, where a party who was summoned did not appear, and on this account judgment was formally rendered against him, and he soon afterwards appeared before the court where you were presiding; it may be supposed that his non-appearance was due, not so much to his own fault, as to the imperfectly heard voice of the crier, and therefore he is entitled to restitution.” 1Ad Dig. 4,1,7,1Windscheid: Lehrbuch des Pandektenrechts, 7. Aufl. 1891, Bd. I, § 118, Note 6.The aid of the Emperor does not seem to be limited to cases of this kind alone, for relief should be granted to persons who have been deceived without their own fault, and especially where fraud was committed by their adversaries, since it is usual for an action based upon fraud to be requested; and it is the duty of a just prætor to grant a new trial, which both reason and justice demand, rather than to allow an action involving turpitude to be brought, which should be resorted to only when no other remedy is available.
8Macer, On Appeals, Book III. This difference exists between the case of minors under twenty-live years of age and parties who are absent on public business, namely: minors, even where they are defended by their guardians and curators, may still obtain complete restitution against the State, that is, where proper cause is shown; but where anyone is absent on public business, or where others who enjoy the same privilege, if they are defended by their agents, are usually only relieved by complete restitution to the extent of being permitted to appeal.