traditio

Roman law

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July 14, 2026

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The term "traditio" in Roman law refers to the simple delivery of possession with the intention of passing ownership. This was a method of conveyance under the jus gentium, or law of nations. While the jus civile initially required a specified length of time for ownership transfer upon sale and delivery, praetors developed procedural protections for the transferee, leading to the concept of "bonitary ownership". This emphasis on simple delivery marked a move towards informality in title granting. Roman law, which originated in ancient Rome and influenced much of Western civilization, formed the basis for modern civil law systems.123

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Roman law
The law of property and possession
Traditio was the simple delivery of possession with the intention of passing ownership and was the method of conveyance of the jus gentium. If A sold and merely delivered a slave to B, under the jus civile, A remained the owner of the slave until…
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Traditio was the simple delivery of possession with the intention of passing ownership and was the method of conveyance of the jus gentium. If A sold and merely delivered a slave to B, under the jus civile, A remained the owner of the slave until…
Read More