Legal Definitions - decreta

Definition: Decreta (pronounced di-kree-tuh) is a Latin term used in Roman law to refer to judgments made by magistrates. These judgments could be sentences pronounced by the emperor as the supreme judge. They were authoritative interpretations of the law or even innovatory and regarded as statements binding for the future.

Example: In Roman law, if a magistrate investigated a case and made a decision, it was called a decreta. The emperor, as the highest authority in the state, could also make decisions after a trial by cognitio or as a judge of appeal. These decisions were recorded in the records of the imperial court and private persons could obtain copies of them.

Explanation: The example illustrates how decreta were judgments made by magistrates, including the emperor, in Roman law. These decisions were considered authoritative interpretations of the law and were binding for the future. Private persons could obtain copies of these decisions, which were recorded in the records of the imperial court.