Legal Definitions - annum luctus

ANNUM LUCTUS

Annum luctus is a Latin term that means "year of mourning." In Roman law, it refers to the year following the death of a married man during which his widow could not remarry. This was to avoid confusion in determining the parentage of a child born a few months after a second marriage within that year. It is also sometimes called the "year in mourning."

For example, if a man died in January, his widow would have to wait until the following January before remarrying. If she remarried before that time, any child born within that year could be considered illegitimate and cause confusion in determining inheritance and other legal matters.

Another example would be if a man died in December, his widow would have to wait until the following December before remarrying. This law was in place to protect the legitimacy of children and ensure that inheritance and other legal matters were properly handled.

These examples illustrate how the law of annum luctus was used to prevent confusion and ensure the proper handling of legal matters related to inheritance and parentage.