Praetor

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Praetor \Pr[ae]"tor\, n.
     See {Pretor}.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:



  praetor
       n : an annually elected magistrate of the ancient Roman Republic
           [syn: {pretor}]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  PRAETOR, Roman civil law. A municipal officer of Rome, so called because, 
  (praeiret populo,) he went before or took precedence of the people. The 
  consuls were at first called praetors. Liv. Hist. III. 55. He was a sort of 
  minister of justice, invested with certain legislative powers, especially in 
  regard to the forms or formalities of legal proceedings. Ordinarily, be aid 
  not decide causes as a judge, but prepared the grounds of decision for the 
  judge and sent to, him the questions to be decided between the parties. The 
  judge was always chosen by the parties, either directly, or by rejecting, 
  under certain rules and limitations, the persons proposes to them by the 
  praetor. Hence the saying of Cicero, (pro Cluentis, 43,) that no one could 
  be judged except by a judge of his own choice. There were several kinds of 
  officers called proctors. See Vicat, Vocab. 
       2. Before entering on his functions he published an edict announcing 
  the system adopted by him for the application and interpretation of the laws 
  during his magistracy. His authority extended over all jurisdictions, and 
  was summarily expressed by the word do, dico, addico, i, e. do I give the 
  action, dico I declare the law, I promulgate the edict, addico I invest the 
  judge with the right of judging. There were certain cases which he was bound 
  to decide himself, assisted by a council chosen by himself perhaps the 
  Decemvirs. But the greater part of causes brought before him, be sent either 
  to a judge, an arbitrator, or to recuperators, (recuperatores,) or to the 
  centumvirs, as before stated. Under the empire the powers of the praetor 
  passed by degrees to the praefect of the praetorium, or the praefect of the 
  city; so that this magistrate, who at first ranked with the consuls, at last 
  dwindled into a director or manager of the public spectacles or games. 
       3. Till lately, there were officers in certain cities of Germany 
  denominated praetors Vide 1 Kent, Com. 528.