University of Malta Martina Ebejer LL. B. (Hons) First Year

University of Malta Martina Ebejer

LL.B. (Hons) First Year

University of Malta

Martina Ebejer (0329899M)

CVL1018 – Roman Law I

Discuss and explain the influence and importance of the jurist during the Principate.

January 2019

Contents

Introduction: 2

A brief overview on the Principate: 2

The Jurist during the Roman Empire: 4

The importance and influence that the Jurist had during the Principate: 6

Concluding Remarks: 8

Bibliography 8

Introduction:

The significant so-called Roman Law began as law for a “small and insignificant rural community”¹, which in due course ended up being law for a civilised and strong empire. Roman Law is one of the best-known laws in history, that has come to influence many other legal systems, including that of Malta. Therefore, one can consider Roman Law as one of the most highly developed and influential types of legal system that was created.
Roman Law can be found in different type of sources, but the main source is known as the Corpus Iuris. This main source of Roman Law then divides into four sections which are “the Digest, Institutiones, Codex and Novellae”², that were all drafted in the sixth century by Emperor Justinian. The periods of development that Roman law had passed through over the years, divide into four categories, which are the Monarchy, the Republic, the Principate and the Dominate.