Pr'fectus Urbi - Definition - Law Dictionary

Definition :

Pr'fectus urbi, from the time of Augustus, an officer who had the superintendence of the city and its police, with jurisdiction extending one hundred miles from the city, and power to decide both civil and criminal cases. As he was considered the direct representative of the emperor, much that previously belonged to the pr'tor urbanus fell gradually into his hands, Ibid., s. 2395.