lex aquilia


lex aquilia

an ancient Roman statute, probably passed in the 3rd century BC. Two provisions of it, the first and third chapters, formed the essence of the delict known as damnum injuria datum, ‘loss wrongfully caused’. The third chapter provided that if a man caused loss to another by burning, breaking or destroying the defendant's property he would be liable for the loss caused. The Digest (see CORPUS JURIS CIVILIS) is rich in discussion of what cases would or would not attract liability. Injuria originally meant simply ‘without justification’ but eventually it was developed to mean FAULT. In a developed and interpreted form it became an important part of the law of civil wrongs in the civilian jurisdictions.