Legal Definitions - res repetundae

Definition: Res repetundae (rays rep-uh-tuhn-dee) is a Latin term that means "things due to be repaid." In Roman law, it refers to money or things that can be reclaimed by a person who was forced to give them to a public official. It can also refer to the illegal act of forcing someone to give money or things, which is known as extortion.

Examples: An example of res repetundae would be if a public official demanded money from a citizen in exchange for a permit or license. If the citizen paid the money but later found out that it was an illegal demand, they could reclaim the money as res repetundae. Another example would be if a public official took possession of a citizen's property without proper legal authority, the citizen could reclaim the property as res repetundae.

These examples illustrate how res repetundae protects citizens from corrupt public officials who abuse their power for personal gain. It ensures that citizens are not unfairly deprived of their money or property and that public officials are held accountable for their actions.