character of the cause, may permit them to prepare in his presence a written answer upon points difficult to explain, or also that they consult notes or memoranda in his presence.

ART. 391. All the objects which constitute the corpus delicti or those which the judge may consider advisable shall be exhibited to the accused for his identification.

He shall be questioned upon the origin of said objects, their purpose, and the reason they were found in his possession; and in general he shall be questioned on any other circumstance which may tend to establish the truth.

The judge may order the accused, but without employing any coercion whatsoever, to write in his presence some words or sentences, if he considers this measure useful to dissipate the doubts which may arise as to the legitimacy of some writing attributed to him.

ART. 392. If the accused shall refuse to answer or shall feign insanity, deafness, or muteness, the judge of examination shall admonish him that, notwithstanding his silence and simulated illness, the proceedings shall continue.

The secretary shall make a record of these circumstances and the examining judge shall proceed to investigate the reality of the illness which the accused feigns, observing for this purpose the provisions contained in the respective articles of Chapters II and VII of this title.

ART. 393. If the examination of the accused is extended over a lengthy period, or the number of questions put to him is so great that he should have lost the serenity of mind necessary to answer the other questions to be asked him, the examination shall be suspended, the accused being allowed the time necessary to rest and recover his calmness. The duration of the interrogatory shall always be recorded in the declaration itself.

ART. 394. A judge violating the provisions of the foregoing article and of article 389 shall be disciplined, unless he incurs greater liability.

ART. 395. The accused can not, under the pretext of the want of jurisdiction of the judge, excuse himself from answering the questions put to him, although he may plead to the jurisdiction, such plea being entered upon the record.

ART. 396. The accused shall be permitted to state what he may consider proper as to his exculpation or for the explanation of the acts, such citations as he may make and other proceedings suggested by him being promptly executed if the judge should consider them conducive to the verification of his statements.

In no case can charges or reconventions be made against the accused, nor shall any part whatsoever of the sumario be read to him, excepting his previous depositions, should he so request, unless the judge shall have authorized the publicity of the sumario in whole or in part.

ART. 397. El procesado podrá dictar por sí mismo las declaraciones. Si no lo hiciere, lo hará el juez, procurando, en cuanto fuere posible, consignar las mismas palabras de que aquél se hubiese valido.

ART. 398. Si el procesado no supiere el idioma español ó fuere sordomudo, se observará lo dispuesto en los artículos 440, 441 y 442.

ART. 399. Cuando el juez considere conveniente el examen del procesado en el lugar de los hechos acerca de los cuales deba ser examinado, ó ante las personas ó cosas con ellos relacionadas, se observará lo dispuesto en el artículo 438.

ART. 400. El procesado podrá declarar cuantas veces quisiere, y el juez le recibirá inmediatamente la declaración, si tuviere relación con la causa.

ART. 401. En la declaración se consignarán íntegramente las preguntas y las contestaciones.

ART. 402. El procesado podrá leer la declaración, y el juez le enterará de que le asiste este derecho.

Si no usare de él, la leerá el secretario en su presencia.

ART. 403. Se observará lo dispuesto en el artículo 450 respecto á tachaduras 6 enmiendas.

ART. 404. La diligencia se firmará por todos los que hubiesen intervenido en el acto, y se autorizará por el secretario.

ART. 405. Si en las declaraciones posteriores se pusiere el procesado en contradicción con sus declaraciones primeras ó retractare sus confesiones anteriores, deberá ser interrogado sobre el móvil de sus contradicciones y sobre las causas de su retractación.

ART. 406. La confesión del procesado no dispensará al juez de instrucción de practicar todas las diligencias necesarias á fin de adquirir el convencimiento de la verdad de la confesión y de la existencia del delito.

Con este objeto, el juez instructor interrogará al procesado confeso para que explique todas las circunstancias del delito y cuanto pueda contribuir á comprobar su confesión, si fué autor ó cómplice y si conoce á algunas personas que fueren testigos ó tuvieren conocimiento del hecho.1

2

ART. 407. Respecto á la incomunicación de los procesados, se observará lo dispuesto en los artículos 506 al 511.

1 Esto se entiende mientras la causa está en sumario; pues si al abrirse el juicio oral el procesado confiesa su delito y su defensor se conforma con la confesión, siendo correccional la pena aplicable, se dicta sentencia sin necesidad de más trámites, según los artículos 688 y 694. La confesión no basta para condenar por delitos cometidos por medio de la imprenta, con arreglo al artículo 820.

2 Véase en el Apéndice I, la Orden núm. 109, de Julio 13 de 1899.

ART. 397. The accused may himself dictate the depositions. Should he not do so, the judge shall do so, seeking, in so far as possible, to record the very words which the former may have used.

ART. 398. Should the accused not know the Spanish language or be a deaf-mute, the provisions of articles 440, 441, and 442 shall be observed.

ART. 399. When the judge considers it advisable to examine the accused at the place of the acts upon which he is to be examined, or in the presence of the persons or things related thereto, the provisions of article 438 shall be observed.

ART. 400. The accused may declare as often as he wishes, and the judge shall immediately take his deposition, if it bears any relation to the cause.

ART. 401. The questions and answers shall be literally embodied in the deposition.

ART. 402. The accused may read the deposition and the judge shall inform him of such right.

Should he not avail himself of this right, the secretary shall read it in his presence.

ART. 403. The provisions of article 450 shall be observed with regard to erasures or changes.

ART. 404. The proceeding shall be signed by all who may have taken part therein and shall be authenticated by the secretary.

ART. 405. If in subsequent depositions the accused should contradict his first statements or should retract his previous confessions, he must be interrogated as to the reasons for his contradictions and the causes for his retraction.

ART. 406. The confession of the accused shall not excuse the judge from taking all the steps necessary in order to be convinced of the truth of the confession and the existence of the crime.

With this end in view the examining judge shall interrogate the confessed criminal in order that he may explain all the circumstances of the crime and all that may contribute to verify his confession, if he was the principal or an accomplice, and if he knows any persons who were witnesses or may have knowledge of the acts.'

2

ART. 407. With regard to the incommunication of the accused the provisions of articles 506 to 511 shall be observed.

'This is understood while the cause is at the stage of the sumario, because if at the opening of the oral trial the accused confesses to the crime and his counsel consents to the confession, the penalty applicable being a correctional one, sentence shall be passed without the necessity of further proceedings, in accordance with articles 688 and 694. A confession is not sufficient for a conviction for crimes committed by means of the press, in accordance with article 820.

2 See in Appendix I, order No. 109, of July 13, 1899.

ART. 408. No se leerán al procesado los fundamentos del auto de incomunicación cuando le fuere notificado, ni se le dará copia de ellos.

ART. 409. Para recibir declaración al procesado menor de edad, no habrá necesidad de nombrarle curador.

CAPÍTULO V.

DE LAS DECLARACIONES DE LOS TESTIGOS.1

ART. 410. Todos los que residan en el territorio español, nacionales ó extranjeros, que no estén impedidos, tendrán obligación de concurrir al llamamiento judicial para declarar cuanto supieren sobre lo que les fuere preguntado, si para ello se les cita con las formalidades prescritas en la ley."

ART. 411. Se exceptúan de lo dispuesto en el artículo anterior, el Rey, su consorte, el Príncipe heredero y el Regente del Reino.

ART. 412. Estarán exentos también de concurrir al llamamiento del juez, pero no de declarar:

1.° Las demás personas Reales.

2. Los Ministros de la Corona.

3. Los presidentes del Senado y del Congreso de los Diputados. 4.° El presidente del Consejo de Estado.

5. Las autoridades judiciales de categoria superior á la del que recibiere la declaración.

6. El gobernador general de la isla, el gobernador civil y jefe de hacienda de la provincia, el capitán general del distrito y el gobernador militar en cuyo territorio se hubiere de recibir la declaración.

1Este capítulo determina las solemnidades y requisitos de las declaraciones testificales, durante el sumario, ante el juez de instrucción. Comenzado el juicio, el examen de los testigos se verifica según los artículos 701 á 722.

"Teniendo en cuenta lo dispuesto en los artículos 410 y 420 de la ley de enjuiciamiento criminal, se ha ofrecido la duda de si todos los testigos que no comparezcan á declarar, incurren en la sanción establecida en el último de dichos artículos.

Esta duda sólo nace de haberse expresado en el artículo 410 la obligación de los testigos de concurrir al llamamiento judicial, para declarar cuanto supieren sobre lo que les fuere preguntado, añadiendo las siguientes palabras: "Si para ello se les cita con las formalidades previstas en la ley." Y como hay casos en que, según el artículo 430 de dicha ley, puede citarse verbalmente á un testigo, ha habido quien crea que entonces no son aplicables las correcciones ó responsabilidades del citado artículo 420. Con sólo fijarse en que este texto legal impone dichas correcciones ó responsabilidades al testigo que no concurra al llamamiento judicial ó se resista á declarar en términos absolutos, ó sea sin hacer distinción alguna respecto á la forma que se empleó para su citación, se comprende que es indiferente para que se le pueda aplicar dicho artículo, que hubiere sido citado verbalmente ó con las formalidades prescritas en la ley.-Memoria de la Fiscalía del Tribunal Supremo de 15 de Septiembre de 1883, número 18.

ART. 408. The reasons for the order of incommunication shall not be read to the accused when notified thereof, nor shall a copy of the same be given him.

ART. 409. In order to take the deposition of an accused person under age the appointment of a curator shall be unnecessary.

CHAPTER V.

DEPOSITIONS OF WITNESSES.'

ART. 410. All persons residing within Spanish territory, whether natives or foreigners, who are not prevented therefrom, shall be obliged to appear upon a judicial citation to declare all they may know in the matter upon which they may be questioned, provided they be cited with the formalities prescribed by law.*

ART. 411. The King, his consort, the crown prince, and the regents of the Kingdom are excepted from the provisions of the foregoing article.

ART. 412. The following shall also be exempted from answering the citation of the judge, but not from testifying:

1. The other royal personages.

2. The Ministers of the Crown.

3. The president of the Senate and of the Congress of Deputies. 4. The president of the Council of State.

5. The judicial authorities of a rank higher than that of the judge receiving the deposition.

6. The governor-general of the island, the civil governor, the chief of finance of the province, the captain-general of the district, and the military governor within whose jurisdiction the testimony is to be taken.

'This chapter prescribes the formalities and requisites of depositions of witnesses during the sumario before the judge of examination. After the trial has commenced, the examination of the witnesses takes place in accordance with articles 701 to 722. "Taking into consideration the provisions of articles 410 and 420 of the law of criminal procedure, the doubt has arisen as to whether all witnesses who do not appear to testify incur the penalty prescribed in the latter article.

This doubt arises only from the fact that article 410 states the obligation of witnesses to appear upon a judicial call to testify to all they may know upon the matters on which they are questioned, the following words being added: "If they are cited therefor with the formalities prescribed by law," and as there are cases in which, according to article 430 of said law, a witness can be cited verbally, some believe that then the corrections or liabilities of the said article 420 do not apply.

In simply observing that this legal text imposes said corrections or liabilities upon a witness who does not appear upon a judicial call, or refuses to testify in absolute terms, that is to say, without making any distinction whatsoever with regard to the form employed for his citation, it will be understood that it makes no difference in the application of said article to him that he shall have been cited verbally or with the formalities prescribed by law. (Report of the fiscal of the Supreme Court of September 15, 1883, No. 18.)