PRIETOR. In Roman Law. A muni cipal officer of Rome, so called because (prce iret populo) he went before or took precedence of the people.
2. The consuls were at first called prictore. Liv. Hist. iii. 55. He was a sort of minister of justice, invested with certain legislative powers, especially in regard to the forms or formalitiee of legal pro ceedings. Ordinarily, he did not decide causes as judge, but prepared the grounds of deciaion for the judge, and sent to him the questions to be de cided between the parties. The• judge WM always ()boson by the parties, either directly, or hy rejeot ing, nnder certain rules and limitations, the persons proposed to them by the prodor. Hence the saying of Cioero (pro Cloentie, 43) that no one could be judged exoe,pt by a judge of his own choice. There were severaI kinds of officers called praetors. See Vicat, V oc.
3. Before entering on his funotions, he published an edict announcing the system adopted by him for the opplIoation and interpretation of the lawe during his magietracy. His authority extended
over all jurisdictions, and was aummarily expressed by the words do, dico, ciddicori.e. do I give the ac tion. dico I deolare the law, I promulgate the edict, sddi,o I invest the judge with the right of judging.
There were certain cases which he was bound to decide, himself, assisted by a council chosen by himself,—perbaps the deeeinvirs. But the greater part of causes brought before him he sent either to a judge, an arbitrator, or to recuperators (recuperatorca), or to the eentumvirs, as before gated. Under the empire, the powers of the praetor passed by degrees to the prefect of the prworium or the prefect of the city : so that tbia magietrate, who at first ranked with the consuls, at last dwindled into a director or manager of the public spectacles or games.
Till lately, there were officers in certain cities of Germany denominated printers. See I Rent, Comm. 528.