The Tribunal is the judicial office of the Unified Old Catholic Church which deals with matters pertaining to Canon Law or Church legislation. Tribunal processes are governed by Canon Law. The Tribunal is obliged to uphold that law in protecting and promoting justice and ensuring the pastoral welfare of the faithful of the Unified Old Catholic Church.
The Presiding Bishop possesses the power to judge for the UOCC; however, most cases are handled by judges whom he appoints, led by a priest known as the Judicial Vicar.
Other officers of the Tribunal are: the Promoter of Justice, a Canon lawyer who represents the UOCC as the prosecutor in punitive cases and acts as an overseer for the faithful of the UOCC; the Defender of the Bond, a Canon lawyer whose job is to present arguments and evidence to the Tribunal concerning the validity of baptisms, marriages, ordinations, etc; Notaries swear in witnesses and record their testimonies in writing.
Canon Law
Canon Law is a code of ecclesiastical laws governing the Unified Old Catholic Church.
The Unified Old Catholic Church 