Tribal Assembly (comitia tributa) was made up of citizens divided by the district of residence (tribus).
Meetings were held at the Capitol, Forum Romanum or at Campus Martius. They were convened only by senior officials: the consul, praetor, curule aedile, and people’s tribune. To discuss the interests of the plebeians, a people’s assembly was called, called concilium plebis. Only a people’s tribune could convene them, and they did it collegially unless any of them obtained the power of attorney to do so on behalf of colleagues in the office.
The tribunal assembly had the following powers:
- worked on bills submitted by people’s tribunes
- elected people’s tribunes
- elected military tribunes, aaedile, quaestor, junior officials
- handed down court sentences in excess of 3000 aces, based on officials’ decisions
In addition, the resolution of Lex Hortensia of 287 BCE gave the resolutions of the tribunal assembly universally binding force, which did not require the approval of the Senate.
Voting at the meeting was according to tribus, the majority of which was 18. The resolutions adopted at this meeting were called plebiscitia.
The tribunal assembly could also elect a consul, at that time it debated under the name comitia consularia.
