Direct representation in Roman law with reference to modern law

The institute of direct representation is indispensable in contemporary law. The first modern civil codes acknowledged direct representation regulating power of attorney through a mandate contract. The second half of the 19th century saw a change in that perception. Starting with the German Civil Co...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cvetković-Đorđević Valentina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law, Belgrade, Serbia 2020-01-01
Series:Anali Pravnog Fakulteta u Beogradu
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0003-2565/2020/0003-25652002123C.pdf
Description
Summary:The institute of direct representation is indispensable in contemporary law. The first modern civil codes acknowledged direct representation regulating power of attorney through a mandate contract. The second half of the 19th century saw a change in that perception. Starting with the German Civil Code, legal texts, including the Serbian Contract and Torts Act, prescribe power of attorney as a separate institute. The contemporary law principle of direct representation contrasts with the Roman law prohibition of direct representation contained in ancient Roman sources. Under the prevailing Pandectist view, it is due to this prohibition that Roman law did not permit direct representation. The article analyses the cases in which, courtesy of classical Roman jurists, direct representation was allowed despite formal prohibition. The absence of a direct representation concept definition and general prescribing does not justify the claim that it was not applied under Roman law.
ISSN:0003-2565
2406-2693