The first twenty distinctions of the Decretum, which comprise a treatise on law and deal with questions of enduring interest, have now been translated into English. A translation of the ordinary gloss, a scholarly commentary usually found in the margin of the Decretum, is also provided.

"What first strikes the reader in the CUA Press translation is the editorial presentation: Gratian's text is located in the middle of the page, with the gloss arranged around it. In its form, it parallels exactly the appearance of the medieval manuscripts and early printed editions; one could move from the text to the gloss and back again without flipping pages, having to consult another book or losing one's place. . . . The CUA Press translation deserves to be in any law library, at least an introduction and access to the history of this law."--Ecclesiastical Law Journal