Suus

L His; his own.

In old English law. Suns judex; one's own judge; a proper judge j a judge having cognizance of a causa

sui, I. His; his own. Sui generis: of its own kind, the only one of its kind, peculiar. Sui juris: of one's own law, under no legal disabihty, not under guardianship.

His own; one's own. Sul juris. Of one's own right. Not under the power of another. 1.

In the Roman law. All persons were termed sui juris who were not under the authority of another, such authority, for instance, as the patria pote.itas, which the law gave to the paterfamilias over his descendants, or as a slave was subject to the power of his master, or a wife under the authority of the husband, &c'. The distinction between persons sui Juris and those alieni juris (q. v.) had reference chiefly to the paternal authority, t&rmQA patria potestas (q. v.), which was originally unlimited, over the persons and property of all descendants of the person entitled to such authority, termed the paterfamilias; which extended even to condemning a son to death, or selling him into slavery, and to absolute control over all property acquired by him, and which continued during the life of the paterfamilias, or until emancipation, without regard to age, or mental or physical capacity. A person subject to the patria potestas of his father or other ancestor was, in the view of the law, nearly in the condition of a slave as to rights of person and property. He remained alieni juris wh Oe he continued subject to such authority, although he might be a man of full maturity as to age, and as to mental and physical capacity. "When, by his emancipation, or by the decease of all entitled to claim paternal authority over him, he was no longer subject to such authority, he became at once sui juris, though but a child a few years of age, and though he used by modem writers in the sense of having capacity to act in one's own right; as the capacity to contract, as affected by mental capability, coverture, infancy, or other disabilities. It is sometimes used in the sense of having sufficient capacity to take care of one's self, applied to children of tender years, lunatics, &c. This application of the words is of doubtful correctness, and is quite contraiy to their classical meaning. Under our law, all persons may be considered sui juris in the original meaning of the term; the only similar distinction now existing seems to be between those who are legally incapacitated from acting in their own right, and for whom another has authority to act, as parent, guardian, committee, &c. These may be classed as alieni juris; aU others being considered sui juris. Suum cuique tribuere. To render to every one his own. One of the three fundamental maxims of the law laid down by Justinian. See Alterum non Icedere.