A more thorough explanation:

Novellae (pronounced nuh-VEL-ee) are a collection of 168 laws created by the Roman emperor Justinian and his successors. They are part of the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is a collection of Roman laws.

For example, if someone wanted to know about a specific law related to property rights in ancient Rome, they could look it up in the Novellae.

The Novellae are important because they provide insight into the legal system of ancient Rome and how it evolved over time. They also show how the Roman Empire tried to adapt to changing circumstances and address new issues as they arose.