Legal Definitions - sortitio

Definition: Sortitio (sor-tish-ee-oh) is a Latin term used in Roman law. It means the drawing of lots, which was used to select judges for a criminal trial.

Example: In ancient Rome, when a criminal trial was held, the judges were not chosen by the government or the people. Instead, they were chosen by sortitio. The names of all the eligible judges were written on pieces of paper and placed in a container. Then, someone would draw the names out of the container at random until the required number of judges was selected.

Explanation: The example illustrates how sortitio was used in ancient Rome to select judges for a criminal trial. The process was fair because it was random and unbiased. It ensured that the judges were not chosen based on their social status or political connections, but solely on chance.