Edict
E´dict
EDICT. A law ordained by the sovereign, by which he forbids or commands
something it extends either to the whole country, or only to some particular
provinces.
2. Edicts are somewhat similar to public proclamations. Their
difference consists in this, that the former have authority and form of law
in themselves, whereas the latter are at most, declarations of a law, before
enacted by congress, or the legislature.
3. Among the Romans this word sometimes signified, a citation to appear
before a judge. The edict of the emperors, also called constitutiones
principum, were new laws which they made of their own motion, either to
decide cases which they had foreseen, or to abolish or change some ancient
laws. They were different from their rescripts or decrees. These edicts were
the sources which contributed to the formation of the Gregorian,
Hermogenian, Theodosian, and Justinian Codes. Vide Dig. 1, 4, 1, 1; Inst. 1,
2, 7; Code, 1, 1 Nov. 139.
act,
announcement,
annunciation,
appointment,
bill,
brevet,
bull,
bulletin board,
bylaw,
canon,
circular,
communique,
decree-law,
decreement,
decretal,
decretum,
dictate,
dictation,
dictum,
diktat,
directive,
edictum,
enactment,
encyclical,
enunciation,
fiat,
form,
formality,
formula,
formulary,
institution,
instrument,
ipse dixit,
jus,
legislation,
lex,
manifesto,
measure,
notice,
notification,
ordinance,
ordonnance,
position paper,
precept,
prescript,
prescription,
proclamation,
program,
programma,
pronunciamento,
public notice,
regulation,
report,
rescript,
rubric,
rule,
senatus consult,
senatus consultum,
standing order,
statement,
statute,
ukase,
white book,
white paper