Constitutiones

Laws promulgated, i. e., enacted, by the Roman Emperor. They were of various kinds, namely, the following: (1) Edicta; (2) decreta; (3) rescripta, called also "epistolœ." Sometimes they were general, and intended to form a precedent for other like cases; at other times they were special, particular or individual, (personales,) and not intended to form a precedent. The emperor had this power of Irresponsible enactment by virtue of a certain lex regia, whereby he was made the fountain of justice and of mercy. Brown. Constitutiones tempore posteriores po-tiores sunt his quæ ipsas præcesserunt.

Dig. 1, 4, 4.

Later laws prevall over those which preceded them.