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Zápatí prezentace
Deathbed Gifts and Falcidian Portion
(
JUDr. Mgr. Radek Černoch, Ph.D.
Department of the History of the State and Law

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Deathbed gifts
nPlease, read the following judgment: Sen v Headley [1991] EWCA Civ 13 (28 February 1991) [online].
[cit. 2020-04-12]. Dostupné z: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/1991/13.html
nAll the necessary information concerning deathbed giftscan be found in the text of the judgment
and the questions to be elaborated

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Falcidian Portion (quarta Falcidia) in Roman Law
nGai Inst. 2, 227
nLata est itaque lex Falcidia, qua cautum est, ne plus ei legare liceat quam dodrantem: itaque
necesse est, ut heres quartam partem hereditatis habeat: et hoc nunc iure utimur.
nThe heir can retain one quarter of the net estate (net estate means after deduction of the debts).
If the legacies exceed the limit, they are proportionally reduced.
n

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Falcidian Portion - Explanation
nQuite often, the testator appointed many legatees (people, who receive legacy/bequest, but are not
liabel for the debts of the testator). As a result, the heir was obliged to transfer (almost) all
assets, but retain all the debts, which rendered acceptance of heritage detrimental, resulting in
rejection of the heritage by the heir (this was detrimental for the legatees as well, because they
were dependant on heir‘s acceptance). If there are more legacies, the proportional reduction takes
place.
nE. g. Value of net heritage is 100. B should receive the bequest of 40. B should receive the
bequest of 30. C should receive the bequest of 20. So the heir would have only 10 and he thinks it
is not worth accepting the heritage for such small profit (bear in mind that he will be liable for
any debt which might arise even later).  If quarta Falcidia is applied, the heir can always retain
one quarter (25, which is googd motivation for him). After deduction B receives 33,33, C 25, D
16,67 (so it is still enough for the legatees, who do not risk any liability for debts, but the
heir is already more motivated to accept the heritage)
n

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Falcidian Portion – later development
nThe rule of quarta Falcidia was later extended to all other instutes of succession
nLater (also in Middle ages and modern times), quarta Falcidia often partially merged with forced
share
nSometimes (e. g. in Byzantine empire or some Germanic countries), its shhare was changed (so it
was not 1/4 , but e. g. 1/3 or 1/10)
n

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Selected Literature
nBORKOWSKI, Andrew. The Law of Donatio Mortis Causa. Reprinted. Oxford : Oxford University Press,
2005. xiv+181 p. ISBN 1-85431-938-8.
nBÉRIER, Franciszek Longchamps de. Law of Succession. Roman Legal Framework and Comparative Law
Perspective. Warszawa : Wolters Kluwer Polska, 2011. 290 p. ISBN 978-83-264-1468-8.
nČERNOCH, Radek. Sen v Headley z hlediska romanistického. Acta Iuridica Olomucensia. 2014, Vol. 9,
Supplementum 3: Recepce římského práva v Evropě, s. 51–57. ISSN 1801-0288.