Noxa Caput Sequitur Law and Legal Definition
Noxa Caput Sequitur is a Latin maxim. It means ‘the injury follows the head or the person.’ It is a rule applied to delicts. It states that the liability to make good the loss caused by a slave/dependant son extended to the master/father.
However, this rule does not apply after manumission. Therefore, if the slave was manumitted or the son became independent at the time when the noxal suit was brought in, a noxal action cannot be commenced against the master/father. In such cases, the suit is brought against the actual wrongdoer.
