Legal Definitions - longa manu

LONGA MANU

Longa manu (long-gə man-yoo) is a Latin term used in Roman and civil law to describe an indirect transfer of ownership by the longest route. It means "with a long hand."

For example, if someone wants to transfer ownership of a warehouse, they can do so by handing over the keys at the door of the warehouse. This is a longa manu transfer because the ownership is transferred indirectly, without physically handing over the warehouse itself.

Another example is when someone wants to transfer ownership of land. They can do so by pointing out the boundaries of the land to the transferee and authorizing its taking. This is also a longa manu transfer because the ownership is transferred indirectly, without physically handing over the land itself.

Longa manu is different from brevi manu, which is a direct transfer of ownership by physically handing over the thing being transferred.