Legal Definitions - selecti judices

Definition: Selecti judices (pronounced si-lek-tIjoo-di-seez) is a term from Roman law. It refers to jurors who were chosen from an official panel prepared by the praetor for a specific trial. These jurors were selected by lot, and they could be challenged. They were also sworn to office, just like modern juries.

For example, if someone was accused of a crime in ancient Rome, they would have a trial. The praetor would prepare a panel of potential jurors, and then a certain number of jurors would be selected by lot to serve on the jury. These jurors would be the selecti judices for that trial.

Another example might be a civil case in which two people were disputing a contract. The praetor would prepare a panel of potential jurors, and then a certain number of jurors would be selected by lot to serve on the jury. These jurors would be the selecti judices for that trial.

These examples illustrate how selecti judices were chosen for specific trials in ancient Rome. The jurors were not chosen by the parties involved in the trial, but rather by the praetor. This was meant to ensure that the jurors were impartial and unbiased. Once the jurors were selected, they were sworn to office and had to fulfill their duties as jurors for that trial.