The Church, called upon to be the mirror of justice (speculum iustitiae), ought to respect the rights of the faithful in its mission towards justice. A great deal of work in the ecclesiastical tribunals involves cases for the declaration of nullity of marriage. In a procedure for such cases, the right of defence (ius defensionis) plays a significant role whose substantial denial renders the sentence/decision irremediably null. This is based on the procedural principle Audiatur et altera pars ("let the other side be heard as well") which protects the rights of persons to a fair hearing and the...