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.