Praetor

The Praetor was a Roman Judge or Magistrate, presiding over the Civil Courts as well as Criminal Trials.
The Praetor assisted the Consuls, and acted as Consul, if these were absent.

Praetor was the Fourth Rung on the Ladder of the Cursus Honorum, the civil service career of the Senatorial Class.

Duties of Praetor under the Roman Republic

Election
- The Praetors was Elected Annually by the Comitia Centuriata
- The Minimum Age was 39 established by the Lex Villia. He must have held the position of Quaestor or Aedile. Under the Republic, there were 6 to 8 Quaetors, but the number varied during the Empire.
Duties
- The Praetor held Imperium and had an escort of six Lictors but only two in the Pomerium and wore the Toga Praetexta.
- The Praetor was a Judge or Magistrate, presiding over the Civil Courts as well as Criminal Trials.
- The Praetor assisted the Consuls, and acted as Consul, if these were absent.
Types of Praetor
- Praetor Peregrinus: Chief Judge over Trials of Foreigners.
- Praetor Urbanus : Chief Judge in Rome, could override any other Court’s Verdict, and act as Judge in criminal prosections of Regional Governors. Forbidden to be absent from Rome for more than 10 days. The Praetor Peregrinus and Praetor Urbanus performed each other’s Duties if one was absent.

Right to Veto
- He could veto any decisions made by fellow Praetors, Aediles and Questors.
- He could be overridden by the Praetor Urbanus, Consuls, Tribune of the Plebs, or the Dictator and Magister Equitum.

- Meaning in place of the Praetor.
- He was Governor of a Senatorial Province with no Legions, but had control over a militia. He had to have previously served as a Praetor for one year. He was immune from Prosecution whilst he held Imperium. As Provincial Governor he had unlimited Power and extorted the Taxes. Once he had left Office however, and was no longer protected by Imperium, he was liable to be prosecuted for extortion.

- However, the Governor of an Imperial Province would be a Proconsul (in place of the Consul, chosen directly by the Roman Emperor, and who had Command of a Frontier Province with one or more Roman Legions.