Legal Definitions - volumen

Volumen refers to a distinct book or a section within a larger collection of legal texts, particularly in civil law systems. It denotes a single unit of written material, often bound, that forms part of a more extensive legal work or compilation.

• Example 1: A legal scholar researching French property law consults a multi-part legal commentary. To find specific details on easements, the scholar refers to the particular volumen dedicated to real estate servitudes. This volumen is one of several books that together form the complete commentary on French civil law.

  Explanation: Here, volumen refers to a specific, self-contained book that is part of a larger set of legal texts, focusing on a particular area of law within a civil law jurisdiction.

• Example 2: A lawyer preparing for a civil trial in Italy needs to review the statutes governing contractual obligations. They reference a specific volumen of the Italian Civil Code to locate the relevant articles concerning breach of contract. This volumen is a particular book within the comprehensive, multi-book compilation of the Italian Civil Code.

  Explanation: In this context, volumen signifies a distinct book or part of a foundational legal code, used to access specific legal provisions within a civil law framework.

• Example 3: For a particularly complex and lengthy civil lawsuit involving multiple parties and extensive evidence, the court clerk organizes the official case records into several bound collections. Each collection, containing a chronological set of filings, evidence, and transcripts, is referred to as a volumen. The entire case might comprise ten such volumina.

  Explanation: Here, volumen describes a physical, bound collection of legal documents pertaining to a single case, where the sheer volume of material necessitates dividing it into multiple distinct units for manageability.