Legal Definitions - tutela

tutela

Tutela is a type of guardianship in Roman law. It is used for those who have not yet reached puberty or for women. The person who is the guardian is called the tutor, and the person being taken care of is called the pupillus. In Justinian's time, guardians for women no longer existed.

Example 1: A 10-year-old boy's parents passed away, and he was left alone. The court appointed a tutor to take care of him until he reached adulthood.

Example 2: A woman's husband passed away, and she was left alone with her children. Her husband's brother became her tutor to help her take care of her family.

These examples illustrate how tutela is used to provide guardianship for those who are not able to take care of themselves. In the first example, the boy is too young to take care of himself, so a tutor is appointed to take care of him until he is old enough. In the second example, the woman is left alone with her children and needs someone to help her take care of them, so her husband's brother becomes her tutor.