Roman assemblies

The Roman assemblies were the Comitia Calata, the Comitia Curiata, the Comitia Centuriata, and the Comitia Tributa. They possessed ultimate legislative and judicial powers in the Roman Republic and were also responsible for the election of magistrates.Unlike legislatures in countries such as the United States, the Roman assemblies were seen to embody the People of Rome, not merely being an elected body of representatives, and thus possessed ultimate legislative powers, including the ability to pass ex post facto laws and bills of attainder. They could also act as a court of appeal for death. They were also not deliberative assemblies: normal citizens neither debated nor proposed legislation (only magistrates could propose legislation). The assemblies also possessed judicial powers, some of which were transferred to permanent courts later in the Republic. The absence of modern separation of powers did not mean that checks and balances were absent from Roman government (they were in fact remarkably elaborate).
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