De jure jurando a moriente de modo substantiae suae praestito.
Concerning an oath which a dying person makes concerning the amount of his property.
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If someone has made an inventory with his own hand, or written by someone else, but subscribed by him, or states the amount of his property in his testament, while some of the heirs are absent and others or all of them are present, the heirs shall not be permitted to object thereto, or to claim that one of the heirs has concealed property not mentioned by the deceased. But if the decedent had declared under oath, or has stated in his testament, that he owns no more than the amount so declared or stated, the heirs, whether outsiders or children, must acquiesce therein, shall not attempt to uncover more, or slander their coheirs; they shall not make investigations or searches which simply give opportunity for strife and lead to nothing, inasmuch as the decedent’s property is just what he swore it to be and which alone he wanted to divide among the heirs. These provisions apply to heirs, who are almost the same as the decedent; but they shall not bind creditors, since it is stated in our laws that self-serving statements, made by a man orally or in writing, can neither be of advantage to him nor prejudice creditors. They may, on the contrary, make such investigation as they wish, but heirs shall be content with the statement of the testator. And a punishment shall be provided for heirs in this respect, so that if they object, they cannot have the property that was left them. They must accept everything as left or reject it all; they cannot accept in part and raise a dispute as to part; the decedent’s wish must be respected by the heirs in every respect, and they must not presume to object to any part of it. This shall apply in the future, and in all cases not yet brought into court or settled by judicial decision or amicably compromised between the parties.
Given 18 August 537.