CHAPTER II. Procurators for Litigation and Advocates

Can. 1481 §1. A party can freely appoint an advocate and procurator; except for the cases established in §§2 and

3, however, the party can also petition and respond personally unless the judge has decided that the services of a

procurator or advocate are necessary.

§2. In a penal trial, the accused must always have an advocate either appointed personally or assigned by the

judge.

§3. In a contentious trial which involves minors or in a trial which affects the public good, with the exception

of marriage cases, the judge is to appoint ex officio a defender for a party who does not have one.

Can. 1482 §1. A person can appoint only one procurator who cannot substitute another unless the procurator has

been given the expressed faculty to do so.

§2. If a person appoints several procurators for a just cause, however, they are to be designated in such a way

that prevention is operative among them.

§3. Nevertheless, several advocates can be appointed together.

Can. 1483 The procurator and advocate must have attained the age of majority and be of good reputation;

moreover, the advocate must be a Catholic unless the diocesan bishop permits otherwise, a doctor in canon law or

otherwise truly expert, and approved by the same bishop.

Can. 1484 §1. Before the procurator and advocate undertake their function, they must present an authentic

mandate to the tribunal.

§2. To prevent the extinction of a right, however, the judge can admit a procurator even if the mandate has

not been presented, once a suitable guarantee has been furnished if the case warrants it; the act, however, lacks

any force if the procurator does not correctly present the mandate within the peremptory time established by the

judge.

Can. 1485 Without a special mandate, a procurator cannot validly renounce an action, an instance, or judicial acts

nor come to an agreement, make a bargain, enter into arbitration, or in general do those things for which the law

requires a special mandate.

Can. 1486 §1. For the removal of a procurator or advocate to take effect, they must be informed; if the issue has

already been joined, the judge and the opposing party must also be informed about the removal.

§2. After the definitive sentence has been issued, the right and duty to appeal, if the mandating person does

not refuse, remains with the procurator.

Can. 1487 For a grave cause, the judge either ex officio or at the request of the party can remove the procurator and

the advocate by decree.

Can. 1488 §1. Both the procurator and the advocate are forbidden to resolve the litigation by bribery or to make an

agreement for an excessive profit or for a share in the object in dispute. If they do so, the agreement is null, and the

judge can fine them. Moreover, the bishop who presides over the tribunal can suspend the advocate from office and

even remove him or her from the list of advocates if it happens again.

§2. Advocates and procurators can be punished in the same way if in deceit of the law they withdraw cases

from competent tribunals so that the cases will be decided more favorably by other tribunals.

Can. 1489 Advocates and procurators who betray their office for gifts, promises, or any other reason are to be

suspended from the exercise of legal assistance and punished with a fine or other suitable penalties.

Can. 1490 As far as possible, legal representatives are to be appointed in a stable manner in each tribunal, who

receive a stipend from the tribunal and are to exercise, especially in marriage cases, the function of advocate or

procurator on behalf of parties who wish to select them.