<Li> ius scriptum and ius non scriptum -- meaning written and unwritten law , respectively . In practice , the two differed by the means of their creation and not necessarily whether or not they were written down . The ius scriptum was the body of statute laws made by the legislature . The laws were known as leges ( lit . `` laws '' ) and plebiscita ( lit . `` plebiscites , '' originating in the Plebeian Council ) . Roman lawyers would also include in the ius scriptum the edicts of magistrates ( magistratuum edicta ) , the advice of the Senate ( Senatus consulta ) , the responses and thoughts of jurists ( responsa prudentium ) , and the proclamations and beliefs of the emperor ( principum placita ) . Ius non scriptum was the body of common laws that arose from customary practice and had become binding over time . </Li>
what was the written law code of the romans
the body of statute laws made by the legislature