Rogatio Minia de aedilibus plebis (Nova Roma)

The comitia plebis tributa have adopted by XX votes against YY with WW abstentions the following text.

Tribune P. Minius Albucius, as presiding magistrate, promulgates the law in the following terms :

In view of article IV.A.5 of the Constitution of Nova Roma which creates ordinary magistrates designated as "Aediles of the Plebs" ;

In view of the Gryllan law on the securing of magistrates of the Plebs (lex Grylla de securandis magistratus plebis) of November 14,1999 ;

In view of the Arminian law on the duties of Aediles of the Plebs (lex Arminia de officiis aedilium plebis) of June 2, 2004 ;

In view of the Arminian law on the cursus honorum (lex Arminia de cursu honorum) of June 2, 2004 ;

In view of the Fabian centuriate law (lex Fabia centuriata) of December 2, 2003 ;

In view of the management and moderation of public forums ;

In view of the need to specify the functions of these Aediles in order best to implement the constitutional rules which concern them ;

In view of the need to strengthen the coherence of the institutions of the Plebs ;

Whereas a law may not restrict the dispositions laid down by the Constitution of Nova Roma ;

It is disposed:

I. ((Definitions))

In the present law, "aedility of the Plebs" means either the office held by one or more Aediles of the Plebs (hereinafter called also "Aediles"), or the institution as a whole, whatever the number of Aediles of the Plebs in office at a certain time.

II. ((Repeals))

A. The Arminian law on the functions of the Aediles of the Plebs (lex Arminia de officiis aedilium plebis) of June 2, 2004 is abrogated and replaced by the present law.

B. The Arminian law on the cursus honorum (lex Arminia de cursu honorum) of June 2, 2004 is abrogated and replaced by the present law.

III. ((Restrictions on candidacy))

Citizens belonging to the order of the Plebs, and thus called "plebeians", are the only ones authorized to stand for the plebeian magistracies defined by the Constitution of Nova Roma.

IV. ((Qualifications for candidacy))

The only plebeians authorized to stand for the aedility of the Plebs are those who are able to prove that they have served for at least one year as Tribune of the Plebs, quaestor, curator, provincial governor, or assistant (scribe) to an Aedile of the Plebs. In the last office, the scribe must be serving at the date when the comitia are convened for the election of one or both Aediles of the Plebs.

V. ((Duties))

A. According to the Constitution, Aediles of the Plebs are fully responsible for the following duties:

- the organization of public games and other festivals, events, and gatherings ;

- the maintenance of order during public religious events ;

- the management of any public property that the State of Nova Roma may acquire ;

- the administration of law.

B. By the present law, Aediles are also entrusted with the two following duties :

- the management (also called in this special case "ownership") of the public forums of the comitia plebis tributa;

- the preservation of the whole legal corpus of Nova Roma, in force or obsolete, which concerns the Plebs or which has been edicted or promulgated by magistrates of the Plebs.

For these two duties, the Aediles are directed to maintain a close collaboration with the Tribunes of the Plebs.

VI. ((Collegiality))

A. Aediles of the Plebs shall exercise their functions jointly. They may divide up, as they see fit, the duties that they have to carry out, so as to render the best public service to the citizens of Nova Roma.

B. When an election, in the appropriate and duly convened comitia, does not succeed in filling an aedilician office and then creates a prolonged vacancy of this office, the Aedile of the Plebs who is alone in office shall take charge of all the tasks which are ordinarily entrusted by constitution, laws, edicts, &c. to both Aediles.

VII. ((Ludi))

According to article 5 above, the Aediles are responsible for the organization of public games and other festivals, events, and gatherings.

A. The public games whose organization is incumbent on the Aediles of the Plebs are the games of Ceres and the Plebeian games. Both events are acknowledged as official games of the Republic of Nova Roma and shall thus receive the support of all the institutions of Nova Roma and the financial commitment of the State as far as necessary.

B. Aediles of the Plebs shall appoint and organize, as they see fit, the dates of the games, their length, and their agenda.

C. The Aediles shall manage the budget of the games - if there be one - and make expenditures and receipts according to the rules defined by any relevant senatus consultum. The treasury of Nova Roma will reimburse, upon presentation of proofs of expenditure, all expenses incurred by the Aediles from their own pockets.

D. When the treasury of Nova Roma is asked by the Aediles to participate in the organization, occurrence, development, or financing of the games, the Aediles must create a presentation file which contains :

- an estimated budget for each event, including expenses and receipts provided for ;

- a summary presentation note accompanying this budget ;

- any useful additional documents.

E. This file shall be sent to a Tribune of the Plebs, who shall immediately convene the Senate, to examine these documents. The Tribune shall pass this file to the Senate, and may add her / his own comments.

F. The Senate shall approve or reject this file. A rejection forbids the Aediles to organize the games, unless they do it without funds from Nova Roma. An approval allows the games to be organized at the expense of the treasury of Nova Roma as set out in the file. The Senate shall modify, if necessary, the general budget of Nova Roma in collaboration with the consular quaestors.

G. The Aediles shall supervise these events with an eye to their correct development, their morality, their dignity, and their respect for the values of Nova Roma. They shall maintain order at these events.

H. In case of default or prolonged vacancy of both Aediles, the Tribunes of the Plebs shall act in concert with the consuls to ensure that the games take place. In this case, the curule Aediles may be invited to take responsibility for the games, but may not be compelled to do so.

VIII. ((Public order))

According to article 5 above, the Aediles are responsible for the maintenance of order during public religious events. They shall thus supervise these events with an eye to their correct development, their morality, their dignity, and their respect for the values of Nova Roma.

A. The Aediles shall perform this duty in collaboration with the priestly colleges and their delegates.

B. This task is to be performed within the limits set down by the law of Nova Roma and by the laws to which it is submitted.

IX. ((Public property))

According to article 4 above, the Aediles are responsible for the management of any public property that the State of Nova Roma may acquire.

A. In the present law, the word "property" means any personal property or real estate as defined by the law of Nova Roma or, in the absence of any relevant law of Nova Roma, as defined by the macronational legal rules of the place where the property is duly registered.

B. In the present law, the word "public" signifies any property, as defined above, acquired by Nova Roma according to its law, whatever its use.

C. All public property entrusted to the Aediles is considered to have been acquired according to the macronational law of the country where the property is located or where the contract took place by which Nova Roma acquired the property.

D. Any Aedile who suspects that any public property entrusted to him has been acquired irregularly, as set out in the paragraph above, may issue a note in which she / he officially exempts herself / himself from responsibility, considering the facts which have come to her / his knowledge.

E. The Aediles shall present every year to the Senate a report on the management of the public property entrusted to them. This report, before it is presented to the Senate, shall be sent to the Tribunes of the Plebs and to the consuls, who may add their own comments. These comments shall be communicated to the Senate together with the report. The Tribunes of the Plebs shall convene the Senate for this purpose.

F. The Senate shall ratify or reject this report. A rejection exempts the State from responsibility for the Aediles' management, and the Aediles must take responsibility under the law of Nova Roma and any relevant macronational law.

G. Exceptionally, even if the term of the Aediles' annual mandate has been reached, their term may be extended until their modified report has been approved by the Senate. This extension is solely to allow the Aediles to modify the report, and shall not prevent the newly elected Aediles from entering office and taking up their duties.

X. ((Iuris dictio))

According to article 5 above, the Aediles are responsible for the administration of law.

This responsibility is held concurrently with the responsibility of other magistrates who have the same responsibility.

XI. ((Public fora))

According to article 5 above, the Aediles are responsible for the management (also called in this special case "ownership") of the public forums of the comitia plebis tributa.

A. They shall supervise these forums with an eye to good behaviour, dignity, and respect for civil rights and for the values of Nova Roma.

B. They shall comply with any request by a presiding Tribune of the Plebs to issue a communication in these forums.

C. The management of the comitia plebis tributa is the responsibility of the Tribunes of the Plebs.

XII. ((Legal archives))

According to article 5 above, the Aediles are responsible for the preservation of the whole legal corpus of Nova Roma, in force or obsolete, which concerns the Plebs or which has been edicted or promulgated by magistrates of the Plebs.

A. This provision concerns obsolete law as well as current law and does not limit the way in which the law is compiled (whether individually, by type, in a codex, &c.)

B. This duty is to be performed in close collaboration with the Tribunes of the Plebs.

C. The Aediles shall comply, within these limits, with every instruction by a Tribune of the Plebs as well as with every request by a Tribune of the Plebs for a new or forgotten document, support or rule, to be inserted.

D. The Aediles shall communicate to the Tribunes of the Plebs, on request, all information contained within the collections which they manage.

E. In addition to the duty of conserving the plebeian legal corpus, the Aediles shall take care to provide the citizens of Nova Roma with the best possible public service by means of access to the collections which they manage.

XIII. ((Scribae))

In order to perform their duties, the Aediles of the Plebs shall organize their staffs as they see fit. Like the other magistrates dealt with by the Constitution of Nova Roma, they may issue edicts, appoint assistants (scribes) to whom they may delegate their powers as limited by legal rules, create discussion forums (also called "lists") whose membership may be, at their discretion, either public or restricted to administrative and managerial communication within the Aediles' staffs.

XIV. ((Other public office))

An Aedile of the Plebs may also be a senator under the conditions set out in the Arminian senatorial law (lex Arminia senatoria) of June 2, 2004, but shall not, as any magistrate or office holder defined by the paragraph IV.A. of the Constitution of Nova Roma, hold at the same time another office defined in this paragraph.

XV. ((Century-points))

The part of paragraph II.B.1 of the Fabian centuriate law (lex Fabia centuriata) of December 2, 2003 which concerns the Aediles of the Plebs is replaced by the following paragraph :

« II.B.1. MAGISTRATI ORDINARII

If a magistrate only serves part of his term as a suffectus or resigns his / her office while in office, Past Service points will be awarded partially. This will be based on two-month increments rounding down. Current Service points will be awarded for the period remaining, also based on two-month increments rounding down.

Censor:

30 CP

15 CP (past service)

Consul:

30 CP

15 CP (past service)

Praetor and Tribunus Plebis:

20 CP

10 CP (past service)

Aedilis curulis or plebis:

14 CP

7 CP (past service)

Quaestor and Vigintisexvir:

10 CP

5 CP (past service) »

The present law shall be executed as a law of the Republic of Nova Roma.

Issued in Roma, on [month] [day], 2005/2758 a.u.c. during the consulate of Fr. Apulus Caesar and C. Popillius Laenas

The presiding magistrate, P. Minius Albucius Tribune of the Plebs