DECRETA

decreta  (di-kree-t<<schwa>>),  n.[Latin  “decisions”]  Roman  law.  Judgments  of  magistrates;

esp., sentences pronounced by the emperor as the supreme judge. See DECRETUM.

“Decreta.  In  Roman  law  decisions  of  magistrates  given  after  investigation  of  a  case  by

cognitio…  and  in  particular,  decisions  of  the  emperor  as  judge  of  first  instance  after  trial  by

cognitio, or as a judge of appeal. As the highest authority in the State the emperor could interpret

the  law  freely  and  even  introduce  new  principles.  Consequently  imperial  decisions  were

authoritative interpretations of the law or even innovatory and regarded as statements binding for

the future, and as such quoted by the jurists. They were not only communicated to the parties but

recorded  in  the  records  of  the  imperial court  and  private  persons  might  obtain  copies  of  them.”

David M. Walker, The Oxford Companion to Law 343 (1980). [Blacks Law 8th]