Summary
Summary Roman Law 271 Semester 1
- Course
- Roman Law 271 (ROMANLAW271)
- Institution
- Stellenbosch University (SUN)
Extensive notes and summaries on the examinable material in Roman Law 271 Semester 1
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ROMEINSE REG 271 / ROMAN LAW 271Roman Law 271 – Semester 1
Setup
, 1
BACKGROUND
AIMS
Difference between real and personal rights
Difference between dominium & possessio / detentio
Difference between dominium & limited real rights
Focus on acquisition and transfer of rights
WHY STUDY?
Roman law is an important source of specifically the South African law of things. Some of the basic concepts found in
the Roman law are still used within the context of the South African law such as the clear distinction between real and
personal rights.
Institutional framework
Roman law also gave us one of the most important divisions of the law of all times. It provides us with an
institutional framework within which to study the law. Gaius divided private law into three sections – the law
relating to personae, res and actiones.
ROMAN LAW OF THINGS
OVERVIEW
RES (Things)
DOMINIUM POSSESSIO /
(Ownership) DETENTIO
Content & Acquire Content Acquire
Forms
Loss
Loss
LIMITED REAL RIGHTS
SERVITUDES EMPHYTEUSIS
(Read)
Praediorum Personarum
(Praedial) (Personal)
SUPERFICIES REAL SECURITY
(Read)
, 2
ROLE & PLACE OF LAW OF THINGS
Why the need for a Law of Things?
As society developed to allow a specific person to exclusively use a specific thing for himself, there developed a
need for rules regulating such exclusive use – determining what a person may or may not do with his thing as
well as the consequences of another person interfering with the exclusive use.
Rome developed from a primitive agricultural society and therefore the first things susceptible for exclusive use
were probably things necessary for survival in these circumstances – such as tools, implements and food.
Roman jurists came to realise that they also had to recognize the claims of persons that did not have physical
control of a thing.
Ownership was recognised as the strongest right over a thing – the strongest protection for an owner against
third parties.
Ownership was protected by a real action – the rei vindicatio.
The right of ownership comprised the right to use a thing, to receive its fruits and to alienate or destroy a thing –
ius iutendi, fruendi et abutendi.
Role of Law of Things
The law of things regulates the relationship between persons and things.
The law of things deals with real (absolute) relationships.
Real rights are absolute because the holder of the real right is protected against infringement regardless of the
who the person infringing the right is.
Foundation
The foundation is the recognition of real actions as opposed to personal actions, thus the distinction between
personal and real rights was already important in Roman times – but from a procedural perspective (thus focus
on actions)
, 3
CONCEPT & CLASSIFICATION OF RES
DEFINITION OF RES (PROPERTY)
The concept of ‘thing’ or ‘res’ has always been difficult to define within a legal context
In classical Roman law the concept of ‘res’ was wider than the concept of ‘thing’ in South African law.
Any asset with economic value (that forms part of a person’s patrimony)
The concept included both corporeal (corporales) and incorporeal (incorporales) things.
- Corporales: Tangible, physically touch. E.g. Slave, Statue
- Incorporales: E.g. Inheritance, obligation, relationship.
Although both corporeal and incorporeal things were included within the concept res, only corporeal things could
be possessed or could be the subject of acquisition of ownership though Usucapio.
CLASSIFICATION OF THINGS
Categorisation: Gaius
Gaius divides the law into the following categories –
a) The law relating to personae (persons and family) PERSONS
b) Actiones (law of procedure) ACTIONS
c) Res (law of succession, law of obligation and law of things) THINGS (Property, obligations and succession)
Corporales (Corporeal)
Incorporales (Incorporeal)
CORPOREAL THINGS:
A: Private things
B: Public things (Public things could not be privately owned)
CLASSIFICATION OF PUBLIC THINGS
1) Res communes
Common to law men
Could not be owned privately, but had a right to enjoy them.
Examples: Air, sea, running water
2) Res publicae
Belonging to the state
Public roads, ports, certain rivers, bridges, provincial, etc.
3) Res universitas
Things that belong to a certain/specific city that is used and enjoyed by its inhabitants
Intended for public use, owned by corporate public bodies, e.g. municipalities or colonies.
Examples: Parks, theatres, racecourses, public streets and buildings, etc.
Formally known as Res publicae
4) Res nullius
Belong to no one
E.g. wild animals, abandoned property and “divine” religious things.
Could possibly be privately owned and then cease to be res nullius
a) Res sanctae: Under the protection of the gods to whom they were consecrated. E.g. City gates and walls
b) Res religiosae: Dedicated to the underworld gods. E.g. Graveyards, tombs, mausoleums, burial land
c) Res sacrae: Dedicated to the heavenly gods. E.g. Temples, Basilicas, temple equipment
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