The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the emergence of the competitive process of individuals and some of its elements in ancient Rome. An analysis of the development and application of the legislation of ancient Rome, which regulated the debt obligations of individuals and the procedure for repayment of creditors’ claims, suggests that the approaches developed at that time were reflected in the modern insolvency proceedings of individuals.

The author substantiates that the emergence of the competition process in ancient Rome should not be considered by the time of occurrence of the Law of Petelia (Lex Poetelia, 326 BC), instead it should be considered by the time of the Laws of the XII Tables (451–450 BC), since, despite the established personal liability of the debtor for the obligations, it was not actually applied, furthermore the foreclosure was applied exactly on the debtor’s property.

The signs of the procedure of debts repayment of an insolvent natural person according to the Laws of the XII tables are determined: the presence of an indisputable monetary claim; the absence of the property to repay the debt; the presence of a judicial act on the commencement of proceedings; the possibility of concluding an amicable agreement; the possibility of involving a third party in the procedure of the dents repayment; occurrence, exclusively by court decision, of adverse legal consequences for the debtor in case of non-settlement of the debt obligation; centralized (state) legal regulation of the debt repayment procedure.

It was found that the Law of Petelia (Lex Poetelia, 326 BC) first introduced the principle of liability for debts not in the person of the debtor, but in his property. In fact, that law was populist in nature and created the conditions for economic collapse in the republic.

It is established that the law of Julius Caesar Julia Lex Cessione Bonorum established the institution of cessio bonorum, according to which the debtor is released from personal liability upon the creditor if he gives to the latter all his property voluntarily, regardless of whether it covers debts due to its realization or not. This approach is reflected today not only in the modern procedure of insolvency of an individual, in particular, in Art. 131 of the Code of Ukraine on Bankruptcy Procedures, but also in the Ukrainian obligatory law as a whole.

It is substantiated that the institution of invalidation of the debtor’s transactions, which originates from ancient Rome, was reflected in Art. 42 of the Code of Ukraine on Bankruptcy Procedures, which applies to the insolvent individuals.

Bibliography

Authored books

1. Ivanov V, Istoriia derzhavy i prava Ukrainy: pidruchnyk (KUP NANU 2013) (in Ukrainian).

2. Malyshev K, Istoricheskij ocherk konkursnogo processa (Tipografija tovarishhestva “Obshhestvennaja polza” 1871) (in Russian).

3. Pokrovskij I, Istorija rimskogo prava (Statut 2004) (in Russian).

 4. Poliakov R, Instytut bankrutstva (neplatospromozhnosti) v yurydychnii doktryni Ukrainy (Pravo Ukrainy 2021) (in Ukrainian).

5. Shershenevich G, Konkursnoe pravo (2-e izd, Tipografija Imperatorskogo Universiteta 1898) (in Russian).

6. Shershenevich G, Konkursnyj process (Statut 2000) (in Russian).

Edited books

7. Gellij Avl, Atticheskie nochi, kn 11–20 (per s lat, Tyzhova A, Behter A red, Gumanitarnaja Akademija 2008) (in Russian).

8. Lickevich O (podgot), Statut Velikogo knjazhestva Litovskogo 1588 goda (2002–2003) (in Russian).

9. Pereterskij I, Novickij I (red), Rimskoe chastnoe pravo: uchebnik (Jurist» 2004) (in Russian).

10. Struve V (red), Hrestomatija po istorii Drevnego mira, t III: Rim (1953) (in Russian).

11. Utchenko S (red), Hrestomatija po istorii Drevnego Rima (1962) (in Russian).

Journal articles

12. Frederiksen M W, ‘Caesar, Cicero and the Problem of Debt’ (1966) 56.1–2 Journal of Roman Studies 128–41 (in English).

13. Baranec O, ‘Stanovlenie i razvitie zakonodatel’stva o nesostojatel’nosti (bankrotstve) v Rossii’ (2007) 27 Izvestija RGPU im. A. I. Gercena 16–21 (in Russian).

Newspaper articles

14. Krat V, ‘Fraudatornist vid Yustyniana. Chomu daruvaty kvartyru materi nedobrosovisno y koly vidbuvaietsia “ztsilennia” notarialnoho posvidchennia dohovoru?’ (Zakon i biznes, 16–17 lypnia 2021) № 28 (1534) <https://zib.com.ua/ua/pda/148293.html> (accessed: 13.01.2022) (in Ukrainian).

15. Pahomov S, ‘Drevnij Rim: bor’ba za svobodu ot rostovshhichestva’ (Bjudzhetnyj uchet, 2013 ijul’) 74 (in Russian).

16. Poliakov R, ‘Bankrutstvo fizychnykh osib – “novyi” instytut vikom ponad 2 tysiachi rokiv’ (Zakon i Biznes) <https://zib.com.ua/ua/140297.html> (accessed: 02.04.2022) (in Ukrainian). Theses 17. Chorna Yu, ‘Svitovi systemy bankrutstva: gospodarsko-pravovyj aspekt’ (dys kand juryd nauk, 2018) (in Ukrainian).

Conference papers

18. Teljukina M, ‘Mehanizm Actio Pauliana kak konkursno-pravovoj sposob zashhity interesov kreditorov’ v Pravovoe regulirovanie osushhestvlenija i zashhity prav fizicheskih i juridicheskih lic: materialy Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf., posvjashhennoj 90-letiju professora V. F. Chigira (2014) 334–9 (in Russian).