IRROGATIO, a term of the Roman law, signifying the
instrument in which were put down the punishments that
the law provided against such offences as any person was
accused of by a magistrate before the people. These
punishments were first proclaimed viva voce by the accuser,
and this was called Inquisitio. But the same being imme-
diately afterwards expressed in writing, took the name of
Rogatio, in respect of the people, who were to be consulted
or asked about it, and was called Irrogatio in respect
of the criminal, as it imported the mulct or punishment
assigned him by the accuser.