Canon 1619. Without prejudice to cann. 1622 and 1623, whenever a case concerns the good of private individuals, acts which are null with a nullity established by positive law are validated by the judgement itself, if the nullity was known to the party making the plaint and was not raised with the judge before the judgement.

Firmis can. 1622 et 1623, nullitates actuum, positivo iure statutae, quae, cum essent notae parti querelam proponenti, non sint ante sententiam iudici denuntiatae, per ipsam sententiam sanantur, quoties agitur de causa ad privatorum bonum attinenti.

Canon 1620. A judgement is null with a nullity which cannot be remedied,

1° it was given by a judge who was absolutely non-competent;

2° it was given by a person who has no power to judge in the tribunal in which the case was decided;

3° the judge was compelled by force or grave fear to deliver judgement;

4° the trial took place without the judicial plea mentioned in can. 1501, or was not brought against some party as respondent;

5° it was given between parties of whom at least one has no right to stand before the court;

6° someone acted in another’s name without a lawful mandate;

7° the right of defence was denied to one or other party;

8° the controversy has not been even partially decided.

Sententia vitio insanabilis nullitatis laborat, si:

1° lata est a iudice absolute incompetenti;

2° lata est ab eo, qui careat potestate iudicandi in tribunali in quo causa definita est;

3° iudex vi vel metu gravi coactus sententiam tulit;

4° iudicium factum est sine iudiciali petitione, de qua in can. 1501, vel non institutum fuit adversus aliquam partem conventam;

5° lata est inter partes, quarum altera saltem non habeat personam standi in iudicio;

6° nomine alterius quis egit sine legitimo mandato;

7° ius defensionis alterutri parti denegatum fuit;

8° controversia ne ex parte quidem definita est.

Canon 1621. In respect of the nullity mentioned in can. 1620, a plaint of nullity can be made in perpetuity by means of an exception, or within ten years of the date of publication of the judgement by means of an action before the judge who delivered the judgement.

Querela nullitatis, de qua in can. 1620, proponi potest per modum exceptionis in perpetuum, per modum vero actionis coram iudice qui sententiam tulit intra decem annos a die publicationis sententiae.

Canon 1622. A judgement is null with a nullity which is simply remediable, if:

1° contrary to the requirements of can. 1425, §1, it was not given by the lawful number of judges;

2° it does not contain the motives or reasons for the decision;

3° it lacks the signatures prescribed by the law;

4° it does not contain an indication of the year, month, day and place it was given;

5° it is founded on a judicial act which is null and whose nullity has not been remedied in accordance with can. 1619;

6° it was given against a party who, in accordance with can. 1593, §2, was lawfully absent.

Sententia vitio sanabilis nullitatis dumtaxat laborat, si:

1° lata est a non legitimo numero iudicum, contra praescriptum can. 1425, §1;

2° motiva seu rationes decidendi non continet;

3° subscriptionibus caret iure praescriptis;

4° non refert indicationem anni, mensis, diei et loci in quo prolata fuit;

5° actu iudiciali nullo innititur, cuius nullitas non sit ad normam can. 1619 sanata;

6° lata est contra partem legitime absentem, iuxta can. 1593, §2.

Canon 1623. In the cases mentioned in can. 1622, a plaint of nullity can be proposed within three months of notification of the publication of the judgement.

Querela nullitatis in casibus, de quibus in can. 1622, proponi potest intra tres menses a notitia publicationis sententiae.

Canon 1624. The judge who gave the judgement is to consider the plaint of its nullity. If the party fears that the judge who gave the judgement is biased, and consequently considers him suspect, he or she can demand that another judge take his place in accordance with can. 1450.

De querela nullitatis videt ipse iudex qui sententiam tulit; quod si pars vereatur ne iudex, qui sententiam querela nullitatis impugnatam tulit, praeoccupatum animum habeat ideoque eum suspectum existimet, exigere potest ut alius iudex in eius locum subrogetur ad normam can. 1450.

Canon 1625. Within the time limit established for appeal, a plaint of nullity can be proposed together with the appeal.

Querela nullitatis proponi potest una cum appellatione, intra terminum ad appellationem statutum.

Canon 1626. §1 A plaint of nullity can be made not only by parties who regard themselves as injured, but also by the promotor of justice and the defender of the bond, whenever they have a right to intervene.

§2 Within the time-limit established in can. 1623, the judge himself can retract or correct an invalid judgement he has given, unless in the meantime an appeal joined to a plaint of nullity has been lodged, or the nullity has been remedied by the expiry of the time-limit mentioned in can. 1623.

§1. Querelam nullitatis interponere possunt non solum partes, quae se gravatas putant, sed etiam promotor iustitiae aut defensor vinculi, quoties ipsis ius est interveniendi.

§2. Ipse iudex potest ex officio sententiam nullam a se latam retractare vel emendare intra terminum ad agendum can. 1623 statutum, nisi interea appellatio una cum querela nullitatis interposita fuerit, aut nullitas sanata sit per decursum termini de quo in can. 1623.

Canon 1627. Cases concerning a plaint of nullity can be dealt with in accordance with the norms for an oral contentious process.

Causae de querela nullitatis secundum normas de processu contentioso orali tractari possunt.

Canon 1628. Without prejudice to the provisions of can. 1629, a party who considers him or herself to be injured by a judgement has a right to appeal from the judgement to a higher judge; in cases in which their presence is required, the promotor of justice and the defender of the bond have likewise the right to appeal.

Pars quae aliqua sententia se gravatam putat, itemque promotor iustitiae et defensor vinculi in causis in quibus eorum praesentia requiritur, ius habent a sententia appellandi ad iudicem superiorem, salvo praescripto can. 1629.

Canon 1629. No appeal is possible against:

1° a judgement of the Supreme Pontiff himself, or a judgement of the Apostolic
Signatura;

2° a judgement which is null, unless the appeal is lodged together with a plaint of nullity, in accordance with can. 1625;

3° a judgement which has become an adjudged matter

4° a decree of the judge or an interlocutory judgement, which doesnot have the force of a definitive judgement, unless the appeal is lodged together with an appeal against the definitive judgement;

5° a judgement or a decree in a case in which the law requires that the matter be settled with maximum expedition.

Non est locus appellationi:

1° a sententia ipsius Summi Pontificis vel Signaturae Apostolicae;

2° a sententia vitio nullitatis infecta, nisi cumuletur cum querela nullitatis ad normam can. 1625;

3° a sententia quae in rem iudicatam transiit;

4° a iudicis decreto vel a sententia interlocutoria, quae non habeant vim sententiae definitivae, nisi cumuletur cum appellatione a sententia definitiva;

5° a sententia vel a decreto in causa de qua ius cavet expeditissime rem esse definiendam.

Canon 1630. §1 The appeal must be lodged with the judge who delivered the judgement, within a peremptory time-limit of fifteen canonical days from notification of the publication of the judgement.

§2 If it is made orally, the notary is to draw up the appeal in writing in the presence of the appellant.

§1. Appellatio interponi debet coram iudice a quo sententia prolata sit, intra peremptorium terminum quindecim dierum utilium a notitia publicationis sententiae.

§2. Si ore fiat, notarius eam scripto coram ipso appellante redigat.

Canon 1631. If a question arises about the right of appeal, the appeal tribunal is to determine it with maximum expedition, in accordance with the norms for an oral contentious process.

Si quaestio oriatur de iure appellandi, de ea videat expeditissime tribunal appellationis iuxta normas processus contentiosi oralis.

Canon 1632. §1 If there is no indication of the tribunal to which the appeal is directed, it is presumed to be made of the tribunal mentioned in cann. 1438 and 1439.

§2 If the other party has resorted to some other appeal tribunal, the tribunal which is of the higher grade is to determine the case, without prejudice to can. 1415.

§1. Si in appellatione non indicetur ad quod tribunal ipsa dirigatur, praesumitur facta tribunali de quo in can. 1438 et 1439.

§2. Si alia pars ad aliud tribunal appellationis provocaverit, de causa videt tribunal quod superioris est gradus, salvo can. 1415.

Canon 1633. The appeal is to be pursued before the appeal judge within one month of its being forwarded, unless the originating judge allows the party a longer time to pursue it.

Appellatio prosequenda est coram iudice ad quem dirigitur intra mensem ab eius interpositione, nisi iudex a quo longius tempus ad eam prosequendam parti praestituerit.

Canon 1634. §1 To pursue the appeal, it is required and is sufficient that the party request the assistance of the higher judge to amend the judgement which is challenged, enclosing a copy of the judgement and indicating the reasons for the appeal.

§2 If the party is unable to obtain a copy of the appealed judgement from the originating tribunal within the canonical time-limit, this timelimit is in the meantime suspended. The problem is to be made known to the appeal judge, who is to oblige the originating judge by precept to fulfil his duty as soon as possible.

§3 In the meantime, the originating judge must forward the acts to the appeal court in accordance with can. 1474.

§1. Ad prosequendam appellationem requiritur et sufficit ut pars ministerium invocet iudicis superioris ad impugnatae sententiae emendationem, adiuncto exemplari huius sententiae et indicatis appellationis rationibus.

§2. Quod si pars exemplar impugnatae sententiae intra utile tempus a tribunali a quo obtinere nequeat, interim termini non decurrunt, et impedimentum significandum est iudici appellationis, qui iudicem a quo praecepto obstringat officio suo quam primum satisfaciendi.

§3. Interea iudex a quo debet acta ad normam can. 1474 iudici appellationis transmittere.

Canon 1635. The appeal is considered to be abandoned if the time-limits for an appeal before either the originating judge or the appeal judge have expired without action being taken.

Inutiliter elapsis fatalibus appellatoriis sive coram iudice a quo sive coram iudice ad quem, deserta censetur appellatio.

Canon 1636. §1 The appellant can renounce the appeal, with the effects mentioned in can. 1525.

§2 Unless the law provides otherwise, an appeal made by the defender of the bond or the promotor of justice, can be renounced by the defender of the bond or the promotor of justice of the appeal tribunal.

§1. Appellans potest appellationi renuntiare cum effectibus, de quibus in can. 1525.

§2. Si appellatio proposita sit a vinculi defensore vel a promotore iustitiae, renuntiatio fieri potest, nisi lex aliter caveat, a vinculi defensore vel promotore iustitiae tribunalis appellationis.

Canon 1637. §1 An appeal made by the plaintiff benefits the respondent, and vice versa.

§2 If there are several respondents or plaintiffs, and the judgement is challenged by only one of them, or is made against only one of them, the challenge is considered to be made by all and against all whenever the thing requested is an individual one or the obligation is a joint one.

§3 If one party challenges a judgement in regard to one ground, the other party can appeal incidentally on the other grounds, even if the canonical time-limit for the appeal has expired. This incidental case is to be appealed within a peremptory time-limit of fifteen days from the day of notification of the principal appeal.

§4 Unless the contrary is clear, an appeal is presumed to be against all the grounds of the judgement.

§1. Appellatio facta ab actore prodest etiam convento, et vicissim.

§2. Si plures sunt conventi vel actores et ab uno vel contra unum tantum ex ipsis sententia impugnetur, impugnatio censetur ab omnibus et contra omnes facta, quoties res petita est individua aut obligatio solidalis.

§3. Si interponatur ab una parte super aliquo sententiae capite, pars adversa, etsi fatalia appellationis fuerint transacta, potest super aliis capitibus incidenter appellare intra terminum peremptorium quindecim dierum a die, quo ipsi appellatio principalis notificata est.

§4. Nisi aliud constet, appellatio praesumitur facta contra omnia sententiae capita.

Canon 1638. An appeal suspends the execution of the judgement.

Appellatio exsecutionem sententiae suspendit.

Canon 1639. §1 Without prejudice to the provision of can. 1683, a new ground cannot be introduced at the appeal grade, not even by way of the useful accumulation of grounds. So the joinder of the issue can concern itself only with the confirmation or the reform of the first judgement, either in part or in whole.

§2 New evidence is admitted only in accordance with can. 1600.

§1. Salvo praescripto can. 1683, in gradu appellationis non potest admitti nova petendi causa, ne per modum quidem utilis cumulationis; ideoque litis contestatio in eo tantum versari potest, ut prior sententia vel confirmetur vel reformetur sive ex toto sive ex parte.

§2. Novae autem probationes admittuntur tantum ad normam can. 1600.

Canon 1640. With the appropriate adjustments, the procedure at the appeal grade is to be the same as in first instance. Unless the evidence is to be supplemented, however,
once the issue has been joined in accordance with can. 1513 §1 and can. 1639 §1, the judges are to proceed immediately to the discussion of the case and the judgement.

In gradu appellationis eodem modo, quo in prima instantia, congrua congruis referendo, procedendum est; sed, nisi forte complendae sint probationes, statim post litem ad normam can. 1513, §1 et can. 1639, §1 contestatam, ad causae discussionem deveniatur et ad sententiam.