Legal Definitions - cognitio

Definition: Cognitio (kog-nish-ee-oh) is a Latin term that means "to know." In Roman law, it refers to the acknowledgment of a fine or the certificate of such an acknowledgment.

Examples:

• When a person was fined in ancient Rome, they had to acknowledge the fine through a process called cognitio.
• The certificate of acknowledgment was also called cognitio.

These examples illustrate how cognitio was used in ancient Rome to acknowledge fines. It was a legal process that ensured the person who was fined knew about the penalty and accepted it. The certificate of acknowledgment was proof that the person had gone through the cognitio process.