assessor
- he that sits by one, an assessor, aid: Lacedaemonii regibus suis augurem adsessorem dederunt, Cic. Div. 1, 43, 95.—In judic. lang., the assistant of a judge, assessor (cf. Zimm. Rechtsgesch. 3, p. 21 sq.; Hugo, Rechtsgesch. p. 685), Dig. 1, 22; Suet. Galb. 14; Sen. Tranq. 1, 3.
Christus ‥ cum apostolis et ceteris ~oribus et familiaribus suis
assederat [J. Scotus ] ad mensam ante regem . ‥ nec vero rex verbis ejus commotus est, sed potius ipsum cum ~oribus suis commovit ad cachinnum
†adsensore [], : adsessore EE 341. 25 fultemendum
adsessore,fultemendum
quod nullus electus ad consilium ‥ alium non electum ‥ sibi consiliarium vel ~orem ‥ adducat(
remanentibus in officio monetarie nostre custodibus cuneorum, ~oribus, monetariis et ceteris baillivis
equi aurei cum ~oribus aureis
strepe sive scansilia ~ori tergum equi prementi juvamen prebent et cingula sellam regit, maxime cum ~or rudis est in equitandi peritia
balistariis ‥ qui ‥ equos cum ~oribus [] suis prostraverunt in terram : sessoribus Wend. II 215
contigit equo cespitante ~orem ‥ in terram allidi
terra ‥ liquefacta ‥ equos Francorum ‥ cum suis ~oribus vivos absorbebat
senescallus convenire debet singulis noctibus ‥ servientes, ~orem ferculorum, pincernam, panetarium
officium hostiarii est fercula conpotare que aulam ingrediantur et inde testimonium ~ori perhibere in compoto cotidiano
provisum est ‥ quod ‥ quadragesima hoc modo assideatur et colligatur: viz. quod de qualibet villa ‥ eligantur iiij de ‥ legalioribus hominibus una cum prepositis ‥ per quorum sacramentum quadragesima pars omnium mobilium ‥ assideatur ‥ in prescencia militum ~orum ad hoc assignatorum. ‥ et deponatur pecunia per eosdem ~ores in aliquo loco tutiori ejusdem ville
levacio tallagii ‥ assessi super eosdem homines per ~ores nostros
per ~ores et consensum poletariorum emendata fuit assisa
rex ~oribus et receptoribus illius pecunie summe quam homines de com. Kanc’ nobis concesserunt
~ores et collectores ‥ none ‥ in com. Ebor’ per regem commissi ‥ nos ‥ injuste distrinxerunt
- adsideo, an assistant, aid.
ASSESSORor ADSESSOR. The consuls, praetors, governors of provinces, and the judices were often imperfectly acquainted with the law and the forms of procedure, and it was necessary that they should have the aid of those who had made the law their study (Cic. de Orat. 1.37; in Verrem, 2.19). Such advisers, who sat in court near or by the side of the functionary who was administering justice, were called assessores. This custom continued under the Empire (Plin. Ep. 20, 6.11, 10.19; Gellius (Gell. 1.22). The praefectus praetorio, praefectus urbi, and other civil and military functionaries had their assessors. An instance is mentioned by Tac. (Ann. 1.75) of the Emperor Tiberius assisting at the judicia (judiciis assidebat), and taking his seat at the corner of the tribunal, nominally in the capacity of assessor.
No magistrate was allowed to sit without one or more assessors, learned in the law (juris studiosi). The Emperor Alexander Severus gave assessores a regular salary (Lampr. Alex. Sev. 46). The assessor was chosen by the magistrate whom he was called in to advise, and persons could not act as assessors in the province to which they belonged. Infames were incapable of serving the office. The jurist Paulus, who wrote a special work, de Officio Adsessoris, thus sums up the duties of the office: Omne judicium adsessoris, quo juris studiosi partibus suis funguntur, in his fere causis constat: in cognitionibus, postulationibus, libellis, edictis, decretis, epistulis (Dig. 1, tit. 22, s. 1). The magistrate was often the mere mouthpiece of his assessor. If the latter gave improper advice, he, and not the magistrate, was responsible.
Under the later empire assessors seem to have heard causes on behalf of the magistrate in his absence. According to the conjecture of Savigny (Geschichte des Röm. Rechts im Mittelalter, vol. 1. p. 79), as the formulary system gradually declined the assessores took the place of the judices.
The work of assessor was regarded as good preparation for high independent office (Spart. Pesc. Nig. 7). In the later writers assessors are mentioned under the various names of odsessores, πάρεδροι, Consiliarii, juris studiosi, comites. The juris studiosi mentioned by Gellius (Gell. 12.13, as assistants to the judices (quos adhibere in consilium judicaturi solent) were assessores. (Bethmann-Hollweg, Der römische Civil-Prozess, § 141, vol. 3.129.)
[E.A.W]or Adsessor. Literally one who sits by the side of another. The consuls, praetors, governors of provinces, and the iudices were often imperfectly acquainted with the law and the forms of procedure, and it was necessary that they should have the aid of those who had made the law their study. These adviserswere known as assessores. The praefectus praetorio and praefectus urbi, and other civil and military functionaries, had their assessors. The empercr Alexander Severus gave the assessors a regular salary. See BethmannHollweg, Der römische Civil-Prozess, iii. 129. 141.