and of anything else which the court may consider proper upon which to base its jurisdiction.

The attested copy shall be prepared and forwarded within the unextendible period of one to three days, according to the volume of the

cause.

ART. 37. The court sought to be inhibited shall at once acknowledge receipt, and after hearing the prosecuting officials, the private accuser, should there be any, the person or persons undergoing trial, and those who appear as civil parties, for a period which shall not exceed twentyfour hours for each one, shall issue a decree inhibiting himself or declaring that there is no reason for so doing.

There shall be no remedy but an appeal for annulment of judgment from decrees of a court inhibiting itself.

ART. 38. After the decision by which a court has inhibited itself has been consented to or executed, the cause shall be forwarded, within a period of three days, to the court which proposed the inhibition, with a summons of the parties and holding the accused at the disposal of the former as well as the material evidences of the crime and the goods seized.

ART. 39. If the inhibition should be refused, the decree shall be communicated to the court demanding the inhibition, with transcript of the statements of the prosecuting officials and of the parties, and of anything else which may be deemed proper.

The transcript shall be issued and transmitted within three days.

In the communication of transmittal it shall be required that the court demanding the inhibition answer immediately, in order to continue the proceedings if the inhibition be not insisted upon, or that otherwise the cause be transmitted to the proper person for a decision as to the jurisdiction.

ART. 40. After the communication mentioned in the foregoing article has been received, the court that proposed the inhibition shall render a decision before the expiration of two days, without further proceedings.

From a decree abandoning an inhibition an appeal for annulment of judgment only lies.

ART. 41. After the ruling by which the court desists from the inhibition has been consented to or executed, it shall be communicated within a period of twenty-four hours to the court sought to be inhibited, transmitting at the same time all proceedings had for attachment to the cause.

ART. 42. If the court demanding the inhibition defends its competency, it shall communicate the same within a period of twenty-four hours to the court sought to be inhibited, in order that it may transmit the record to the court which is to decide the question; and it shall do the same with its own record.

ART. 43. Las competencias se decidirán por el tribunal dentro de los tres días siguientes al en que el ministerio fiscal hubiese emitido dictamen, que evacuará en el término de segundo día.

Contra estos autos, cuando procedan de las audiencias territoriales, habrá lugar al recurso de casación.

Contra los pronunciados por el Tribunal Supremo no se da recurso alguno.

ART. 44. El tribunal que resuelva la competencia podrá condenar al pago de las costas causadas en la inhibitoria á las partes que la hubieren sostenido ó impugnado con notoria temeridad, determinando en su caso la proporción en que deban pagarlas.

Cuando no hiciere especial condenación de costas, se entenderán de oficio las causadas en la competencia.

En el caso de que un tribunal sin causa legítima debidamente justificada, se hubiese extralimitado en los términos establecidos en el presente título para la sustanciación y decisión de las competencias, será corregido prudencial y disciplinariamente, según la gravedad del caso. ART. 45. Las declinatorias se sustanciarán como artículos de previo pronunciamiento.1

CAPÍTULO III.

DE LAS COMPETENCIAS NEGATIVAS Y DE LAS QUE SE PROMUEVEN CON JUECES Ó TRIBUNALES ESPECIALES, Y DE LOS RECURSOS DE QUEJA CONTRA LAS AUTORIDADES ADMINISTRATIVAS.

ART. 46. Cuando la cuestión de competencia empeñada entre dos ó más jueces ó tribunales fuere negativa por rehusar todos entender en la causa, la decidirá el juez ó tribunal superior y en su caso el Supremo, siguiendo para ello los mismos trámites prescritos para las demás competencias.

ART. 47. En el caso de competencia negativa entre la jurisdicción ordinaria y otra privilegiada, la ordinaria empezará ó continuará la

causa.

ART. 48. Las cuestiones de jurisdicción promovidas por tribunales seculares contra jueces ó tribunales eclesiásticos se sustanciarán y decidirán por los trámites y de la manera que se establece en el título III del libro I de la ley de enjuiciamento civil.2

ART. 49. Cuando los jueces ó tribunales eclesiásticos estimaren que les corresponde el conocimiento de una causa en que entienda un juez ó tribunal secular, podrán requerirle de inhibición; y si no accediese

1

1 Fijan el procedimiento para la sustanciación y decisión de los artículos de previo pronunciamiento, los artículos 666 á 679.

2 Trata de los recursos de fuerza en conocer. (Arts. 125 á 152 de la ley de enjuiciamiento civil vigente en las Islas de Cuba y Puerto Rico.)

ART. 43. Questions of jurisdiction shall be decided by the court within the three days following that on which the public prosecutor may have given his opinion, which he shall do within a period of two days.

An appeal for annulment of judgment lies from these decrees when issuing from territorial audiencias.

Against those of the supreme court there is no remedy whatsoever.

ART. 44. The court deciding the question of jurisdiction may tax the payment of the costs occasioned by the plea of inhibition against the parties who have defended or opposed the same with marked persistence, deciding, in a proper case, the proportion each shall pay.

If there be no special condemnation of costs made, those occasioned in deciding questions of jurisdiction shall be understood to be ex officio. If a court without legal cause properly proved, shall go beyond the limits prescribed in this title for the hearing and determination of questions of jurisdiction, it shall be corrected and disciplined according to the gravity of the case.

ART. 45. Declinatory pleas shall be heard and determined in the same manner as interlocutory issues.1

CHAPTER III.

QUESTIONS OF NEGATIVE JURISDICTION AND THOSE RAISED BY SPECIAL JUDGES OR COURTS AND COMPLAINTS AGAINST ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITIES.

ART. 46. If the question of jurisdiction raised between two or more judges or courts be negative by all refusing to take cognizance of the cause, the superior judge or court, or, in a proper case, the supreme court shall decide it, observing therein the procedure prescribed for other questions of jurisdiction.

ART. 47. In case of negative jurisdiction between the ordinary and a specal jurisdiction, the ordinary jurisdiction shall begin or continue the

cause.

ART. 48. Questions of jurisdiction raised by secular courts against ecclesiastical judges or tribunals shall be heard and decided according to the procedure and in the manner established in Title III of Book I of the Law of Civil Procedure."

ART. 49. When ecclesiastical judges or tribunals shall consider that they have jurisdiction of a cause of which a secular judge or court is taking cognizance, they may interpose an inhibitory plea, and if it should be overruled they may complain to the proper court, which,

'The procedure for the hearing and determination of interlocutory issues is fixed by articles 666 to 679.

2 This title treats of civil remedies against actions of ecclesiastical courts (Arts. 125 to 152 of the Law of Civil Procedure in force in Cuba and Porto Rico).

á ella, recurrirán en queja al superior respectivo, que, oyendo al fiscal, resolverá, sin ulterior recurso, lo que crea procedente.

ART. 50. Las cuestiones de competencia que se promuevan entre tribunales ordinarios y otros cualesquiera especiales, que no sean eclesiásticos, se sustanciarán y decidirán con arreglo á lo dispuesto en el presente título, correspondiendo en todo caso su resolución al Tribunal Supremo de Justicia.

ART. 51. Respecto de las competencias que la administración suscite contra los jueces ó tribunales de la jurisdicción ordinaria, y de los recursos de queja que éstos pueden promover contra las autoridades y administrativas, se estará á lo que dispone la sección 4a, título II, libro I de la ley de enjuiciamento civil.'

1 Articulos 116 á 124 de la ley que se cita.

after hearing the public prosecutor, shall decide without further remedy what it may deem proper.

ART. 50. Questions of jurisdiction between ordinary and any special courts, not ecclesiastical, shall be heard and determined according to the provisions of this title in all cases by the supreme court.

ART. 51. Questions of jurisdiction raised by the administration against judges or courts of the ordinary jurisdiction, and the complaints which the latter may make against the administrative authorities, shall conform to the provisions of section 4, Title II, Book I, of the Law of Civil Procedure.1