Reflections on legal taxonomy: the example of iusiurandum

Abstract

Background: This article presents a study on the relationship between taxonomy, used in law textbooks for easier assimilation, and the legal structure of the institutions, based on the particular case of the so-called necessary oath (iusiurandum necessarium) in Roman law, which is presented in sources in a particularly unsystematic and confusing way. The reason for these reflections is determined by the difficulties of understanding the necessary oath that one finds when beginning their studies according to the criteria of doctrinal distinction between the necessary and voluntary oaths.
 Research propose: The purpose of this article is to determine the relationship between law and taxonomy, and answer the question whether taxonomy serves the purposes of research and application of law or, on the contrary, it is cultivated by the mere scientific inertia coming from the natural sciences. It is a question of gaining a better understanding of the sensitivity of classical jurisprudence, as well as the order of Corpus Iuris Civilis.
 Methods: The starting point of the article constitute citing different doctrinal opinions concerning the criteria of distinction between the necessary and voluntary oaths in ancient Rome. They are analyzed in the light of the jurisprudential sources, in order to verify their validity. The method is based on the exegetical analysis of these sources.
 Conclusions: The classification of legal knowledge must be based on both social and legal realities reflected in written laws, regardless of whether they are fitted into easier-to-understand categories.