Senatus consultum
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Decree of the senate. A senatus consultum was an official statement and advice of the Roman senate to the executive magistrates. Though it was officially an "advice" from the senate to a magistrate, and technically these decrees did not have to be obeyed, in practice, they usually were. If a senatus consultum conflicted with a law that has been passed by the comitia, the law overrided the senatus consultum, because the senatus consultum had its authority based in precedent, and not in law. A senatus consultum, however, could serve to interpret a law.