Roman Magistrates

• Roman Law was enacted through a hierarchy of elected civil servants called Magistrates.
• The Roman Magistrates in the Civil Service followed a career path called the Cursus Honorum, and had various titles.

Cursus Honorum

• The Hierarchy of the Roman Magistrates, starting with the most Senior:
  1. Dictator who held Imperium (Abolished in 44 BCE by Mark anthony)
  2. Censor
  3. Consuls who held Imperium
  4. Praetor who held Imperium
  5. Aedile and the Curule Aediles
  6. Quaestor

Restrictions on Power under the Republic

• Each Magistrate could veto decisions made by another Magistrate equal to him or below him.
• Edicts could be only be issued by Consuls, Praetors, Aediles and Provincial Governors (who had been either Consuls or Praetors).
• In 67 BCE the Lex Cornelia was passed which insisted that the magistrates act according to the Edicts they published.

Under the Empire

• The Emperor received Proconsular Powers giving him power over all the military.
• Through the office of Tribune of the Plebs, he held power over the Assemblies and the Roman Senate.
• The Emperor became the highest power in Roman Law.