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There are three basic types of law:
Civil Law - that which relies on a codification of law in writing rather than judicial precedent
Common Law - that which relies on precedents of previous decisions of judges based on historic customs.
Criminal Law - that which operates on legislated prohibitions of certain conduct.
Originally Roman law was unwritten, which gave the aristocracy, the custodians of it, a decisive edge which, allied to their being also custodians of the state religion, gave them enormous power to control the populace. Agitation led to a codification called the Twelve Tables. This was followed over the centuries by codifications of additional laws by eminent jurists, essentially the process of conversion from customary (Common) law to civil law. The process was virtually completed by the 4th Century CE.
Today's Civil Law rests on the Roman precedents with later developments over 1,500 years, just as the the Roman Civil Law developed over a thousand years.
During the Roman Republic Roman law was a customary law in that it was based on ancestral customs (mos maiorum) and a common law it that it was also based on precedent.
During the Roman Republic at first the consuls (the two annually elected head of the Republic) proposed bills to the vote of the Assembly of the Soldiers. Later the plebeian tribunes proposed bills to the vote of the Plebeian Council (this is the origin of the term plebiscite). During the subsequent period of rule by emperor the emperors became the law makers. They issued imperial edicts.
During the Roman Republic the praetors were like chief justices. One of them, the praetor urbanus (urban praetor) was responsible for the administration of justice. He issued the Praetor's Edict, which stated the praetors' policy on judicial matters for their term of office (one year). These praetors endorsed much of the content of previous edicts, thus ensuring continuity. Although praetors were not legislators and could not introduce new laws, they could make amendments. These introduced needed innovations. Therefore, the development an improvement of Roman law owed a lot to them. Since the praetors were elected politicians, not lawyers, they often submitted consulta (written questions) to jurists (legal experts) and their replies were often used for the compilation of the edicts.
The praetor urbanus also presided over civil cases between Roman citizens and criminal proceedings (quaestiones perpetuae) and appointed jurors to. The praetor peregrinus, which roughly means chief justice for foreigners, presided over civil cases between Roman citizens and non-Romans.
Criminal proceeding were presided over by the praetor who appointed a panel of judges (recuperatores) to act a jurors and vote for guilt or innocence. In civil cases the processing started with the praetor (in iure) who prescribed the sentence. The case was then passed the case on to a judge (judex) and the processing became apud iudicem. The judge adjudicated in favour or against the case. This ruling (iudicium) was binding. The judges were not professional judges. They were unpaid private people chosen from a list (album) drawn up according to wealth to decide a case referred to him by the praetor. During the period of rule by emperors, this two-stage process was dropped. The praetor heard the whole case in person or appointed a delegate (iudex pedaneus).
Many European nations base their law on Roman systems. So do most Latin American countries, which were once European colonies. Roman law has also influenced the Unites States. Many principles of the Roman Republic, such as equal justice under the law, became part of the American system of government.
Rome's first set of written was was the Law of the Twelve Tables, which was compiled in 450/49 BC. This was an archaic law which was the foundation for Roman law only in the next few centuries. As Rome evolved beyond the archaic stage of the history and many new laws were issued, the Law of the Twelve Tables became outmoded and no longer provided the foundation of Roman law.
Louisiana's civil laws and Government structure are based on Roman law. Louisiana's criminal law and all laws of the other states are based the English Common law system. Louisiana had been a French Territory using French Laws based on the Roman Law, at the time of admission to the Union most of those laws and method of administering them were left in place, a sudden change to the Common Law would have been disruptive to commerce and life in general. Areas of the Loisiana Territory out side of what became the state of Louisiana were sparsely populated and loosly administered, American/English law was implemented there. The Roman system in Louisiana is often said to be based on the Napoleonic Code, which is not quite true, Napoleon 1st did make some changes, modernizing French Law, but French Law was still a Roman Law system. Roman Law became the basis for Western European Law around 1150, replacing forms which arose after the breaking up of the Roman empire. Many of those replaced forms, especially in the North, were based on Nordic and Germanic systems. Roman law had little effect on England, due in earlier years to relative isolation reinforced later by England's separation from the Roman Church and general aversion to all things "Roman." In the early 1800's England and America adopted several practices from Roman law, modifying and simplifying various procedures especially in civil trial procedures, which under the English system had become cumbersome. And as time passed American/English law has affected Roman law in Louisiana law.
Roman law was based on the principle of rights, the rights of citizens.
The key principles of Roman civil law were citizenship and citizenship rights, equality under the law, the right to have a proper trial and to defend oneself, the right to appeal, that the burden of proof rests on the accuser and not on the accused, that no Roman citizen should be tortured and that unfair laws can be repealed.
what is an example of how roman law has impacted the legal system in the U.S?
The Roman law, which is the legal system applied in the ancient Rome,were proposed by the magistrates and approved by the assembly.
law and justice system
The Roman numeral system was derived from the Etruscan numeral system and the Etruscans once ruled the Romans.
Common law is a legal system derived from judicial decisions and precedent, where courts interpret and apply the law. Roman law, on the other hand, was a legal system developed in ancient Rome based on written statutes and codes. Common law relies heavily on precedent, while Roman law emphasized codification and abstract legal principles.
everyone was subject to the same laws
law and justice system
Many European nations base their law on Roman systems. So do most Latin American countries, which were once European colonies. Roman law has also influenced the Unites States. Many principles of the Roman Republic, such as equal justice under the law, became part of the American system of government.
The Roman Empire established a system of civil governance and a more or less uniform rule of law throughout their empire.
Rome's first set of written was was the Law of the Twelve Tables, which was compiled in 450/49 BC. This was an archaic law which was the foundation for Roman law only in the next few centuries. As Rome evolved beyond the archaic stage of the history and many new laws were issued, the Law of the Twelve Tables became outmoded and no longer provided the foundation of Roman law.
The creation of the first organized system of law enforcement is generally traced back to the Roman Empire.
Louisiana's civil laws and Government structure are based on Roman law. Louisiana's criminal law and all laws of the other states are based the English Common law system. Louisiana had been a French Territory using French Laws based on the Roman Law, at the time of admission to the Union most of those laws and method of administering them were left in place, a sudden change to the Common Law would have been disruptive to commerce and life in general. Areas of the Loisiana Territory out side of what became the state of Louisiana were sparsely populated and loosly administered, American/English law was implemented there. The Roman system in Louisiana is often said to be based on the Napoleonic Code, which is not quite true, Napoleon 1st did make some changes, modernizing French Law, but French Law was still a Roman Law system. Roman Law became the basis for Western European Law around 1150, replacing forms which arose after the breaking up of the Roman empire. Many of those replaced forms, especially in the North, were based on Nordic and Germanic systems. Roman law had little effect on England, due in earlier years to relative isolation reinforced later by England's separation from the Roman Church and general aversion to all things "Roman." In the early 1800's England and America adopted several practices from Roman law, modifying and simplifying various procedures especially in civil trial procedures, which under the English system had become cumbersome. And as time passed American/English law has affected Roman law in Louisiana law.