Legal Definitions - ministri regis

ministri regis is a historical Latin term that translates to "ministers of the king." It referred to individuals who held positions of authority and responsibility directly serving the monarch, particularly judges and other officials tasked with carrying out the king's will and administering justice or governance. These individuals acted as extensions of the king's power, ensuring the functioning of the kingdom's legal and administrative systems.

• Imagine a medieval kingdom where a serious crime, such as theft or assault, has occurred. The king, as the ultimate source of justice, would appoint a royal judge to preside over the trial. This judge, acting as a ministri regis, would hear evidence, interpret the law, and deliver a verdict and sentence. The judge's authority to make these decisions stemmed directly from the king, and their judgments were considered to be the king's justice being administered throughout the realm, ensuring order and upholding royal decrees.

• Consider a scenario in the same historical period where the king issues a new royal decree concerning the maintenance of roads and bridges across the kingdom. To ensure this decree is enforced, the king might dispatch a royal bailiff or a local sheriff to oversee the work and collect necessary levies from the populace. In this capacity, the bailiff or sheriff would be a ministri regis, directly implementing the king's administrative policies and exercising the monarch's power to manage public infrastructure and collect resources for the crown. Their actions were not personal but were carried out on behalf of and with the full authority of the king.