Concilium Plebis

  • The Concilium Plebis meant the Plebeian Assembly, which was a highly influential sub-Assembly of the Comitia Tributa.

Description

  • The Concilium Plebis was presided over by the Tribune of the Plebs, and became the usual method of the passing of Laws in the Late Republic.
  • Patricians were excluded from the Plebeian Assembly.
  • It was a sub-Assembly of the Comitia Tributa and it elected the Military Tribunes, Aediles, Quaestors.
  • It elected the 10 Tribuni Plebis or Tribunes of the Plebs.

Functions

  • Legislative and Judicial.
  • The Concilium Plebis had the same functions as the Comitia Tributa.
  • In 286 BCE, the Lex Hortensia made decisions of the Plebs applicable to the whole Roman State.
  • Legislation known as ‘Plebiscites’ were frequently passed through this Assembly.
  • It was the Forum for debating almost all Roman Legislation, since the Laws passed by the Tribunes concerned all the People.

Tribune of the Plebs

  • There were ten presiding officers called Tribuni Plebis.
  • The Tribune of the Plebs, could veto laws and actions of the Roman Senate, the Consuls and the Magistrates. It was a very powerful Office.
  • This right was removed under Sulla (138-78 BCE) and although the Emperors never abolished the position, each Emperor or his right hand man was granted Tribunician Power, ending the Assembly’s independence.

Voting

  • Open to all Roman Citizens who were allowed to vote.
  • Minimum notice to hold an Election was three market days (approximately two weeks).
  • Voters assembled into:
    • Conventions (Conventio – ‘coming together’) to hear the Debate, then
    • Assemblies (Comitia – ‘meeting place’) or
    • Councils (Concilium) to actually vote.

The People’s Assemblies (Comitia)

  • There were three Assemblies under the Roman Republic:
  • Function:
    • They could not Propose Legislation. They met to vote on proposals in draft Bills that had been debated in the Senate. The Assemblies could not debate the Bill, only accept or reject them.
    • Voting was oral and in Public, then in the late Republic it changed to a secret ballot. For a Bill to pass it simply required a straightforward majority of votes.

 

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