Art. 5. The Sentence and the Appeal

Can. 1681 Whenever, during the instruction of a case, a very probable doubt emerges that consummation of the

marriage did not occur, after suspending the case of nullity with the consent of the parties, the tribunal can

complete the instruction for a dispensation super rato and then transmit the acts to the Apostolic See together with

a petition for a dispensation from either one or both of the spouses and the votum of the tribunal and the bishop.

Can. 1682 §1. The sentence which first declared the nullity of the marriage is to be transmitted ex officio to the

appellate tribunal within twenty days from the publication of the sentence, together with the appeals, if there are

any, and the other acts of the trial.

§2. If a sentence in favor of the nullity of a marriage was given in the first grade of a trial, the appellate tribunal

is either to confirm the decision at once by decree or to admit the case to an ordinary examination in a new grade,

after having weighed carefully the observations of the defender of the bond and those of the parties if there are any.

Can. 1683 If a new ground of nullity of the marriage is alleged at the appellate grade, the tribunal can admit it and

judge it as if in first instance.

Can. 1684 §1. After the sentence which first declared the nullity of the marriage has been confirmed at the

appellate grade either by a decree or by a second sentence, the persons whose marriage has been declared null can

contract a new marriage as soon as the decree or second sentence has been communicated to them unless a

prohibition attached to the sentence or decree or established by the local ordinary has forbidden this.

§2. The prescripts of can. 1644 must be observed even if the sentence which declared the nullity of the

marriage was confirmed not by a second sentence but by a decree.

Can. 1685 As soon as the sentence is executed, the judicial vicar must notify the local ordinary of the place in which

the marriage was celebrated. The local ordinary must take care that the declaration of the nullity of the marriage

and any possible prohibitions are noted as soon as possible in the marriage and baptismal registers.