Canon 1607. A principal case which has been dealt with in judicial fashion is decided by the judge by a definitive judgement. An incidental matter is decided by an interlocutory judgement, without prejudice to can. 1589

Causa iudiciali modo pertractata, si sit principalis, definitur a iudice per sententiam definitivam; si sit incidens, per sententiam interlocutoriam, firmo praescripto can. 1589, §1.

Canon 1608. §1 To give any judgement, the judge must have in his mind moral certainty about the matter to be decided in the judgement.

§2 The judge must derive this certainty from the acts of the case and from the proofs.

§3 The judge must conscientiously weigh the evidence, with due regard for the provisions of law about the efficacy of certain evidence.

§4 A judge who cannot arrive at such certainty is to pronounce that the right of the plaintiff is not established and is to find for the respondent except in a case which enjoys the favour of law, when he is to pronounce in its favour.

§1. Ad pronuntiationem cuiuslibet sententiae requiritur in iudicis animo moralis certitudo circa rem sententia definiendam.

§2. Hanc certitudinem iudex haurire debet ex actis et probatis.

§3. Probationes autem aestimare iudex debet ex sua conscientia, firmis praescriptis legis de quarundam probationum efficacia.

§4. Iudex qui eam certitudinem adipisci non potuit, pronuntiet non constare de iure actoris et conventum absolutum dimittat, nisi agatur de causa iuris favore fruente, quo in casu pro ipsa pronuntiandum est.

Canon 1609. §1 The presiding judge of a collegiate tribunal decides the day and time when it is to meet for discussion. Unless a special reason requires otherwise, the meeting is to be at the tribunal office.

§2 On the day appointed for the meeting, the individual judges are to bring their written conclusions on the merits of the case, with the reasons in law and in fact for reaching their conclusions. These conclusions are to be added to the acts of the case and to be kept in secrecy.

§3 Having invoked the divine Name, they are to offer their conclusions in order, beginning always with the ‘ponens’ or ‘relator’ in the case, and then in order of precedence. Under the chairmanship of the presiding judge, they are to hold their discussion principally with a view to establishing what is to be stated in the dispositive part of the judgement.

§4 In the discussion, each one is permitted to depart from an original conclusion. A judge who does not wish to accede to the decision of the others can demand that, if there is an appeal, his or her conclusions be forwarded to the higher tribunal.

§5 If the judges do not wish, or are unable, to reach a decision in the first discussion, they can defer their decision to another meeting, but not beyond one week, unless the instruction of the case has to be completed in accordance with can. 1600.

§1. In tribunali collegiali, qua die et hora iudices ad deliberandum conveniant, collegii praeses statuat, et nisi peculiaris causa aliud suadeat, in ipsa tribunalis sede conventus habeatur.

§2. Assignata conventui die, singuli iudices scriptas afferant conclusiones suas in merito causae, et rationes tam in iure quam in facto, quibus ad conclusionem suam venerint; quae conclusiones actis causae adiungantur, secreto servandae.

§3. Post divini Nominis invocationem, prolatis ex ordine singulorum conclusionibus secundum praecedentiam, ita tamen ut semper a causae ponente seu relatore initium fiat, habeatur discussio sub tribunalis praesidis ductu, praesertim ut constabiliatur quid statuendum sit in parte dispositiva sententiae.

§4. In discussione autem fas unicuique est a pristina sua conclusione recedere. Iudex vero qui ad decisionem aliorum accedere noluit, exigere potest ut, si fiat appellatio, suae conclusiones ad tribunal superius transmittantur.

§5. Quod si iudices in prima discussione ad sententiam devenire aut nolint aut nequeant, differri poterit decisio ad novum conventum, non tamen ultra hebdomadam, nisi ad normam can. 1600 complenda sit causae instructio.

Canon 1610. §1 If there is a sole judge, he will draw up the judgement.

§2 In a collegiate tribunal, the ‘ponens’ or ‘relator’ is to draw up the judgement, using as reasons those tendered by the individual judges in their discussion, unless the reasons to be preferred have been defined by a majority of the judges. The judgement must then be submitted to the individual judges for their approval.

§3 The judgement is to be issued not later than one month from the day on which the case was decided, unless in a collegiate tribunal the judges have for grave reasons stipulated a longer time.

§1. Si iudex sit unicus, ipse sententiam exarabit.

§2. In tribunali collegiali, ponentis seu relatoris est exarare sententiam, desumendo motiva ex iis quae singuli iudices in discussione attulerunt, nisi a maiore numero iudicum praefinita fuerint motiva praeferenda; sententia dein singulorum iudicum subicienda est approbationi.

§3. Sententia edenda est non ultra mensem a die quo causa definita est, nisi, in tribunali collegiali, iudices gravi ex ratione longius tempus praestituerint.

Canon 1611. The judgement must:

1° define the controversy raised before the tribunal, giving appropriate answers to the individual questions;

2° determine the obligations of the parties arising from the trial and the manner in which these are to be fulfilled

3° set out the reasons or motives, both in law and in fact, upon which the dispositive part of the judgement is based;

4° apportion the expenses of the suit.

Sententia debet:

1° definire controversiam coram tribunali agitatam, data singulis dubiis congrua responsione;

2° determinare quae sint partium obligationes ex iudicio ortae et quomodo implendae sint;

3° exponere rationes seu motiva, tam in iure quam in facto, quibus dispositiva sententiae pars innititur;

4° statuere de litis expensis.

Canon 1612. §1 The judgement, after the invocation of the divine Name must state in order the judge or tribunal, and the plaintiff, respondent and procurator, with names and domiciles duly indicated. It is also to name the promotor of justice and the defender of the bond if they were engaged in the trial.

§2 It must then briefly set out the alleged facts, with the conclusions of the parties and the formulation of the doubt.

§3 Then follows the dispositive part of the judgement, prefaced by the reasons which support it.

§4 It ends with the date and the place in which it was given, and with the signature of the judge or, in the case of a collegiate tribunal, of all the judges, and of the notary.

§1. Sententia, post divini Nominis invocationem, exprimat oportet ex ordine qui sit iudex aut tribunal; qui sit actor, pars conventa, procurator, nominibus et domiciliis rite designatis, promotor iustitiae, defensor vinculi, si partem in iudicio habuerint.

§2. Referre postea debet breviter facti speciem cum partium conclusionibus et formula dubiorum.

§3. Hisce subsequatur pars dispositiva sententiae, praemissis rationibus quibus innititur.

§4. Claudatur cum indicatione diei et loci in quibus prolata est et cum subscriptione iudicis vel, si de tribunali collegiali agatur, omnium iudicum et notarii.

Canon 1613. The rules set out above for a definitive judgement are to be adapted also to interlocutory judgements.

Regulae superius positae de sententia definitiva, sententiae quoque interlocutoriae aptandae sunt.

Canon 1614. A judgement is to be published as soon as possible, with an indication of the ways in which it can be challenged. Before publication it has no effect, even if the dispositive part may, with the permission of the judge, have been notified to the parties.

Sententia quam primum publicetur, indicatis modis quibus impugnari potest; neque ante publicationem vim ullam habet, etiamsi dispositiva pars, iudice permittente, partibus significata sit.

Canon 1615. The publication or notification of the judgement can be effected by giving a copy of the judgement to the parties or to their procurators, or by sending them a copy of it in accordance with can. 1509.

Publicatio seu intimatio sententiae fieri potest vel tradendo exemplar sententiae partibus aut earum procuratoribus, vel eisdem transmittendo idem exemplar ad normam can. 1509.

Canon 1616. §1 A judgement must be corrected or completed by the tribunal which gave it if, in the text of a judgement, there is an error in calculations, or a material error in the transcription of either the dispositive part or the presentation of the facts or the pleadings of the parties, or if any of the items required by can. 1612, §4 are omitted. This is to be done either at the request of the parties or ex officio, but always after having consulted the parties and by a decree appended to the foot of the judgement.

§2 If one party is opposed, an incidental question is to be decided by a decree.

§1. Si in sententiae textu vel error irrepserit in calculis, vel error materialis acciderit in transcribenda parte dispositiva aut in factis vel partium petitionibus referendis, vel omissa sint quae can. 1612, §4 requirit, sententia ab ipso tribunali, quod eam tulit, corrigi vel compleri debet sive ad partis instantiam sive ex officio, semper tamen auditis partibus et decreto ad calcem sententiae apposito.

§2. Si qua pars refragetur, quaestio incidens decreto definiatur.

Canon 1617. Other pronouncements of a judge apart from the judgement, are decrees. If they are more than mere directions about procedure, they have no effect unless they give at least a summary of their reasons or refer to motives expressed in another act.

Ceterae iudicis pronuntiationes, praeter sententiam, sunt decreta, quae si mere ordinatoria non sint, vim non habent, nisi saltem summarie motiva exprimant, vel ad motiva in alio actu expressa remittant.

Canon 1618. An interlocutory judgement or a decree has the force of a definitive judgement if, in respect of at least one of the parties, it prevents the trial, or brings to an end the trial itself or any instance of it.

Sententia interlocutoria vel decretum vim sententiae definitivae habent, si iudicium impediunt vel ipsi iudicio aut alicui ipsius gradui finem ponunt, quod attinet ad aliquam saltem partem in causa.