Talk:Senatus consultum regarding age exemption for Titus Octavius Pius Ahenobarbus MMDCCLIX (Nova Roma)

Commentary

"Age exemption"

The Senate is empowered by the lex Vedia de magistratuum aetate to allow a citizen to stand for office before he reaches the minimum age stated in the lex Iunia de magistratuum aetate. This is the exemption granted here.

There is, however, a puzzle. The lex Vedia states:

An exemption to this law may be granted to a person by the approval of both censors and a senatus consultum approved by a two-thirds majority vote.

A two-thirds majority at this meeting of the Senate would have been 17 votes. This proposal received only 14 votes, but it considered to have passed. Apparently a simple majority was considered sufficient. This may be an example of mos displacing lex. The validity of the senatus consultum does not appear to have been challenged.

I believe the law (or interpretation thereof) in effect at the time was satisfied with a simple majority. Anyway, as two solid candidates announced they would run, I never actually stepped up myself, seeing as there was no need. - Tituspius 15:08, 14 November 2009 (CET)