Justinian's Digest

This book is a study of the character and compilation of Justinian’s Digest, the main volume of Justinian’s Corpus Iuris Civilis (528-534 AD). This is often considered as one of the most influential works in the history of Western culture. It remains significant, partly because it is still a part of the law in six countries in Southern Africa, and partly because of its role in the evolution over fifteen hundred years of the theory and practice of human rights – a
theme explored in Professor Honore’s previous book studying Ulpian (2nd ed, OUP 2002).The book gives a detailed account of the probable methods used in the compilation of the
Digest and distinguishes the respective roles of imperial ministers, law professors, and advocates. It also examines the broader issues raised by the Digest’s creation – how it was conceived by its compilers, its purpose, and its impact.

Author Biography

Tony Honoré is the Emeritus Regius Professor of Civil Law at Oxford University. An Honorary Fellow of All Souls College, Professor Honoré has been teaching at Oxford for over sixty years. He is the author over twenty books on legal philosophy, trust law, and Roman legal history, including (with H.L.A. Hart) Causation in the Law, two editions of Ulpian, Law in the Crisis of Empire, the edited volumes Making Law
Bind and Responsibility and Fault, and About Law.