Senatus consultum

In Roman law. A decision or decree of the Roman senate, having the force of law, made without the concurrence of the pcople. These enactments began to take the place of laws enacted by popular vote, when the commons had grown so great in number that they could no longer be assembled for legislative purposes. Mackeld. Rom. Law, § 33; Hunter, Rom. Law, xlvii; Inst. 1, 2, 5.

— Senatus consultum Marcianum. A decree of the senate, in relation to the celebration of the Bacchanalian mysteries, enacted in the consulate of Q. Marcius and S. Postumus.

— Senatus consultum Orflcianum. An enactment of the senate (Orficius being one of the consuls and Marcus Antoninus emperor) for admitting both sons and daughters to the sac-cession of a mother dying intestate. Inst. 3, 4, pr.

— Senatus consultum Pegasianum. The Pegasian decree of the senate. A decree enacted in the consulship of Pegasus and Pusio, in the reign of Vespasian, by which an heir, who was requested to restore an inheritance, was allowed to retain one-fourth of it for himself. Inst. 2, 23, 5.

— Senatus consultum Trebellianum. A decree of the senate (named from Trebellius, in whose consulate it was enacted) by which it was provided that, if an inheritance was restored under a trust, all actions which, by the civil law, might be brought by or against the heir should be given to and against him to whom the inheritance was restored. Inst. 2, 23, 4; Dig. 36, 1.

— Senatus consultum ultimæ necessitatis. A decree of the senate of the last necessity. The name given to the decree which usually preceded the nomination of a dictator. 1 Bl. Comm. 136.

— Sonatas consultum VeUeianum. The Vel-leian decree of the senate. A decree enacted in the consulship of Velleius, by which married women were prohibited from making contracts. Story, Confl. Laws, § 425.

I. A decree of the senate; one of the chief sources of Roman law.

Ordained of the senate. In the earlier periods of Romau history, laws were enacted by popular vote; but when the number of the people had grown so large that they could not be assembled to pass laws, a practice arose of consulting the senate, instead of the people; and to any law thus passed, the name senatus consultum was applied. Hunt. Rom. L. xlvii; Trayn. Max. Historians differ as to the power of the senate to enact laws during the republic; but this power was one of the principal sources of new enactments during the empire.

civ. law. A decree or decision of the Roman senate, which had the force of law. When the Roman people had so increased that there was no place where they could meet, it was found necessary to consult the senate instead of the people, both on public affairs and those which related to individuals. The opinion which was rendered on such an occasion was called senatus consultum. Inst. 1, 2, 5; Clefs des Lois Rom. h. t.; Merl. Repert. h. t. These decrees frequently derived their titles from the names of the consuls or magistrates who proposed them; as, senatus-consultum Claudianum, Libonianum, Velleianum, &c. from Claudius, Libonius, Velleius. Ayl. Pand. 30.