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🇻🇦 Holy See (Vatican City) · specialised court

Tribunal of the Roman Rota

Tribunal Apostolicum Rotae Romanae

Reviewed· 2026-08-02Vatican City

The ordinary appellate tribunal of the Holy See for canonical cases from around the world, best known for marriage nullity, and a principal source of canonical jurisprudence.

How the court is constituted

Tier
specialised
Court type
Ordinary appellate tribunal of the Apostolic See
Jurisdiction
Universal — canonical appeals, chiefly marriage nullity
Seat
Vatican City
Composition
A dean and auditors sitting ordinarily in panels of three.
Languages
Latin, Italian

Where an appeal goes next

Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura for procedural recourse.

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