A Roman magistrate was a public official in Ancient Rome who held various positions of authority. The most important of these were the CONSUL, pretor, aedile, CENSOR, TRIBUNE, edile, and praetor. The CONSUL was the highest ranking magistrate and was responsible for leading the Roman Republic. The pretor was a magistrate with judicial powers and was responsible for civil law. The aedile was a magistrate responsible for public works and festivals. The CENSOR was a magistrate responsible for maintaining the census and supervising public morality. The TRIBUNE was a magistrate responsible for protecting the rights of the plebeians. The edile was a magistrate responsible for managing the city's finances. The praetor was a magistrate responsible for administering justice.