Courts of Vatican City State
The Vatican City has a distinct legal system from that of the Government of Italy. John Allen, a CNN Vatican analyst, says that the court system usually prosecutes minor crimes, such as pick pocketing, and usually the Vatican legal system gives out limited penalties. The Vatican may request that a serious crime be tried in the Italian judicial system.
The pope's judicial authority is exercised through the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as he customarily serves as President of the Cassation Court of Vatican City, and the Dean of the Roman Rota as President of the Appellate Court of Vatican City. In fact, most crimes are prosecuted by and handled in the courts of by the Republic of Italy, by agreement between the Vatican and the Italian government.
Read more about this topic: Politics Of Vatican City
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