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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Lex Duodecim Tabularum
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A quick definition of Lex Duodecim Tabularum:
Lex Duodecim Tabularum: The earliest laws written by the Romans on 12 tablets in the 5th century B.C. These laws set out the rights and duties of Roman citizens, including things like family law, wills, and civil procedure. They were important because they made the laws accessible to everyone, not just a few people who knew them by heart. The laws of the Twelve Tables were also known as the Lex Duodecim Tabularum and were considered the most important laws in Rome for many centuries.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Lex Duodecim Tabularum is the earliest surviving legislation enacted by the Romans, written on 12 tablets in the 5th century B.C. It is also known as the Twelve Tables. The Tables set out many rights and duties of Roman citizens, including debtors' rights, family law, wills, torts, civil procedure, and some public law. They substituted a written body of laws, easily accessible and binding on all citizens of Rome, for an unwritten usage accessible to only a few.
Example: One of the laws in the Twelve Tables stated that if a person was in debt and could not pay, they could be taken as a slave by their creditor. This law protected the creditor's rights to get their money back, but also limited the amount of time a debtor could be held as a slave.
Explanation: This example illustrates how the Twelve Tables set out the rights and duties of Roman citizens, including debtors' rights. It shows how the law protected both the creditor and the debtor, and how the law was written down and accessible to all citizens of Rome.