Bonus pater familias

In Roman law, the term bonus pater familias ("good family father") refers to a standard of care, analogous to that of the reasonable man in the common law.^[1]

In Spanish law, the term used is a direct translation ("un buen padre de familia"), and used in the Spanish Código Civil.^[2] It is also used in Latin American countries.^[3]

In Portuguese law the term is also mentioned in the Civil Code, in its direct translation ("um bom pai de família").

In Italian law, the term is used in a direct translation ("<diligenza del> buon padre di famiglia").

Similar is the French language expression bon père de famille, used in a sense similar to "reasonably cautious person." For example, in the case of Fales v. Canada Permanent Trust Co., [1977] 2 SCR 302, at p. 315, the Supreme Court of Canada described the standard of care and diligence expected of the manager of a trust as being "ceux qu’un bon père de famille apporte à l’administration de ses propres affaires".^[4] In the English version of the decision, this concept was translated as "that of a man of ordinary prudence in managing his own affairs."^[5]

References

1. Parker, Wendy. "The reasonable person: a gendered concept?" (PDF). Victoria University of Wellington Law Review. 23 (1993): 105, 112.
2. Código Civil, art. 1.094, 1.104.2, 1.903.
3. e.g.Código Civil de Venezuela, art. 1133; Código Civil de Colombia, art.63
4. Supreme Court of Canada. Fales c. Canada Permanent Trust Co., [1977] 2 RCS 302, 1976 CanLII 14 (CSC) (per Dickson J.). CanLII. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
5. Supreme Court of Canada. Fales v. Canada Permanent Trust Co., [1977] 2 SCR 302, 1976 CanLII 14 (SCC) (per Dickson J.) CanLII. Retrieved 22 November 2018.