Legal Definitions - decretum

A decretum is a decision made by a magistrate or emperor that has mandatory force. In Roman law, it refers to a judgment made by the emperor at first instance or on appeal. An example of a decretum would be a decision made by the emperor on a legal case. In Ecclesiastical law, it refers to an ecclesiastical law, which is different from a secular law. Plural form of decretum is decreta.

• When the emperor made a decision on a legal case, it was called a decretum.
• The decretum of the emperor was a type of imperial constitution.
• In Ecclesiastical law, a decretum is an ecclesiastical law that is different from a secular law.

These examples illustrate that a decretum is a decision made by a magistrate or emperor that has mandatory force. It can be a judgment made by the emperor on a legal case or an ecclesiastical law in Ecclesiastical law.