FAS

FAS.abbr.1.FREE ALONGSIDE SHIP. 2.FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME. 3.FOREIGN

AGRICULTURAL SERVICE .

fas (fas), n.[Latin] Roman law. 1. Moral law of divine origin; divine law. • Jus, by contrast, is

created by man. See JUS. 2. What is right, proper, lawful, and permitted. Cf. NEFAS.

“The first element to be noted in the Roman composite existing in primitive times, when

religion and law were not distinguished, is fas — the will of the gods, embodied in rules that

regulated not only ceremonials but the conduct of all men as such.” Hannis Taylor, The Science of

Jurisprudence 65 (1908).

“It is true that the two spheres of ius and fas overlapped…. All this, however, concerned

merely the question of where to draw the line between ius and fas; it did not blur the distinction

between the two. From the standpoint of the history of Roman law, this distinction, consciously

made from very early times, was of great importance, since it enabled the Romans to delimit the

scope and the contents of strictly legal rules. This attitude may occasionally have caused a certain

cold aloofness from purely human problems, but it undoubtedly contributed to the clarity of the

legal system.” Hans Julius Wolff, Roman Law: An Historical Introduction 51–52 (1951).[Blacks Law 8th]