I iudices ordinarii nell'ordinamento giudiziario tardoromano

The purpose of the article is to show the double meaning of the expression iudices ordinarii in late Roman law sources. The first labels the governors of the provinces not ranked as proconsules (rectores provinciarum), the second indicates the holders of ordinary jurisdiction in juxtaposition with special judges when a matter of jurisdiction arises. If the latter fits well with the up-to-date concept of ordinary judges and needs no particular explanation, the former is justified by the more general indication of the province’s governor as iudex tout court in contemporary sources and by his fulfilment of first instance jurisdiction characterized by a lower honorary rank, rather than his lack of iurisdictio vice sacra. It is remarkable that also in the second meaning amongst the law sources collected in the Theodosian Code iudices ordinarii indicate to some degree the rectores provinciarum.