The Law in Ancient Rome

The Law in Ancient Rome

The Romans possessed an intricate legal and political structure. Ancient Rome is the source of many fundamental legal and political systems and concepts that still exist today.

The Law in Ancient Rome

Who made the laws?

There are several methods used to make laws. The Roman Assemblies served as the principal forum for the official creation of new laws. Members of the assembly cast votes on proposed laws. But there were other methods by which laws were put into effect, such as edicts from the emperor, decisions made by elected officials (magistrates), decrees from the senate, and decisions made by the Plebeian Council.

Who enforced the laws?

The praetor was an officer who upheld the laws. After the consuls, the praetor was the second-highest-ranked officer in the Roman Republic. The administration of justice fell under the purview of the praetor.

The Romans maintained a police force known as the Vigiles to enforce the laws in the city. The Vigiles took care of small-time offenders such as robbers and escaped slaves. Other military units, such as the Praetorian Guard and the urban cohorts, were called upon when greater force was required, as in riots or against gangs.

Roman Constitution

The Roman government operated under a set of agreed-upon principles known as the Constitution. It was established by custom and local regulations rather than being recorded in a single location.

The Law of the Twelve Tables

Public authorities had a lot of room to be corrupted because many laws were unwritten or not available to the public. Eventually, the populace rose out in rebellion against the rulers, and around 450 BC, a few rules were etched for public viewing on stone tablets. The Law of the Twelve Tables is the name given to these statutes.

Roman Citizens

Roman citizens were the only recipients of many of the privileges and protections granted by Roman law. Being a full Roman citizen was a significant affair. Roman citizenship was also divided into tiers, with varying degrees of rights granted to each.

Punishment and Prisons

In ancient Rome, not all criminals received the same sentence. Your position determined the kind of punishment you would receive. For the same offense, a wealthy patrician would be punished significantly less severely than a slave.

Beatings, lashings, exile from Rome, fines, or even death could be the result of punishment. Although Romans rarely imprisoned criminals, they did have jails where people might be held until the determination of guilt or punishment.

Legacy of Roman Law

Roman law and the Roman Constitution are still in use today in many forms. These include ideas such as term limits, separation of powers, vetoes, checks and balances, and frequent elections. A lot of these ideas form the cornerstones of contemporary democratic administrations.

Facts About Roman Law

• The Romans had three branches of government, including the legislative assemblies (branch of the people), the senate (branch of the nobles and patricians), and the consuls (executive branch).
• Roman women had limited rights as citizens. They could not vote or hold public office, but they could own property and businesses.
• In 212 AD, the Roman Emperor Caracalla declared that all freedmen in the Roman Empire were full Roman citizens.
• Emperor Justinian I had the laws of Rome written down and organized. These laws became known as the Justinian Code and were used throughout the empire.

Read also: The Roman Senate History and facts