Chapter IV: Of the Place and Time of Judgment

Although the Bishop has the right of erecting a tribunal in any place of his diocese which is not exempt, nevertheless he is to establish, at his own see, a hall which is to be the ordinary place of judgments; and there an image of the Crucified is to stand forth, and a book of the Gospels is to be present.

A judge expelled by force from his territory or impeded from exercising jurisdiction there can exercise his jurisdiction outside the territory and render sentence, with the local Ordinary nevertheless having been made more certain concerning this matter.

§ 1. In each diocese the Ordinary is to take care that, by public decree, days and hours be defined, opportune according to the circumstances of place and times, on which the tribunal can regularly be approached and the administration of justice be demanded from it.

§ 2. Nevertheless, for a just cause, and whenever there is danger in delay, it is lawful for the faithful at any time to invoke the ministry of the judge for the protection of their own right or of the public good.

§ 1. Feast days of precept and the last three days of Holy Week are to be held as ferial; and on them it is forbidden to intimate citations, to hold hearings, to examine parties and witnesses, to assume proofs, to render, denounce, and execute decrees and sentences, unless necessity, Christian charity, or the public good demands otherwise.

§ 2. But it belongs to the judge in individual cases to determine and denounce whether and what acts must be completed on the above-mentioned days.