Editing Roman Curia (section)

===Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura===
{{main|Apostolic Signatura}}

The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura<ref>{{cite web |date=4 February 2011 |title=Apostolic Signatura |url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/tribunals/apost_signat/index.htm |access-date=26 July 2013 |publisher=Vatican.va}}</ref> is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church besides the Pope himself, who is the supreme ecclesiastical judge. In addition, it is an administrative office for matters pertaining to the judicial activity of the whole church.

Appeals in standard judicial processes, if appealed to the Apostolic See, normally are not handled by the Signatura. Those go to the [[Roman Rota]], which is the ordinary appellate tribunal of the Apostolic See. The Supreme Tribunal handles some of the more specialized kinds of cases, including the following:
* complaints of nullity and requests for ''[[Restitutio ad integrum|restitutio in integrum]]'' against judgments of the Roman Rota;
* appeals, in cases concerning the status of persons, against the refusal of a new examination of the case decided by the Roman Rota;
* exceptions of suspicion and other cases against judges of the Roman Rota for acts performed in the exercise of their office; and 
* conflicts of jurisdiction between tribunals, which do not depend on the same Appellate Court.

Although a Rotal decision can be appealed, if not ''[[res judicata]]'', to a different panel (''turnus'') of the Rota, there is no right of appeal from a decision of the Signatura,<ref>{{cite web |title=Code of Canon Law&nbsp;– IntraText |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P6D.HTM |access-date=26 July 2013 |publisher=Vatican.va}}</ref> although a complaint of nullity on formal grounds is possible.<ref>{{cite web |title=Code of Canon Law&nbsp;– IntraText |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P6C.HTM |access-date=26 July 2013 |publisher=Vatican.va}}</ref> As an administrative office, it exercises jurisdiction (vigilance) over all the tribunals of the Catholic Church. It can also extend the jurisdiction of tribunals, grant dispensations for procedural laws, establish interdiocesan tribunals, and correct advocates.

The current prefect is [[Dominique Mamberti|Dominique François Joseph Cardinal Mamberti]].