The Tribunal

Diocesan Tribunal

The Tribunal is, first and foremost, a court of law. The law we adjudicate is the canon law of the Catholic Church, which has as its foundation and its heart the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Gospels. The fundamental law of the Church is the commandment of Jesus to love God above all else and to love one another as ourselves. The procedural laws which govern Tribunals exist primarily to protect the rights of all persons connected with a Tribunal case by providing a structured process of examining the issues and questions surrounding marriage and divorce.

Church law calls for the existence of a Tribunal in every diocese of the world. The Tribunal of the Diocese of Manchester is under the direction of the Bishop of Manchester and is supervised by his delegate, the judicial vicar. He, together with his judges and a staff of specially trained and experienced priests, religious and lay persons, offers assistance to those who request that the Church study a marriage in order to determine whether or not there is any possibility of a declaration of invalidity. The Tribunal then investigates the marriage, and on completion of their investigation, declares whether or not invalidity has been proved.

See also: Judicial Vicar

Marriage Invalidity Process (Annulments)

Few things cause more misunderstandings, generate more confusion, or give rise to more questions, than the work of the Catholic Tribunals in marriage invalidity cases, or "marriage annulments." The booklet below gives answers to the most commonly-asked questions.

DOWNLOAD: Document version - Select this one if you want a copy and will not make a booklet.

DOWNLOAD: Booklet version  - Select this one if you want to reproduce the plan in booklet form, double-sided and folded in half.

Related Links

Frequently Asked Questions

Information for the Petitioner

Information for the Respondent

Information for Witnesses

Marriage After an Annulment

Ecclesiastical Court

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