sentences:  The Rota, of which Stankiewicz was Dean, acts as a third (and higher) instance appellate tribunal, reviewing decisions of lower courts, mainly on marriage annulment cases, but including other non-administrative cases also.On his 75th birthday in 2010 he submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI.His resignation was accepted on 22 September 2012 and Pio Vito Pinto was appointed as his successor.