It's a pretty good bet that keeping the decision at the parish level would speed things up. Whether speeding things up is a good thing, is another question entirely.
By the way, I run into this problem all the time with RCIA. A couple in their 30's or 40's ardently wants to come into the Church, both were baptized Protestants, both had a busted-up marriage in their youth, now the Diocesan Tribunal has to dig up respondents that have, themselves, remarried years ago.
The couple that had been looking forward blissfully to receiving the Sacraments at Easter, are now told it could be years. (And of course, after the investigation is done, the Tribunal could rule to uphold the bond.)
Lotta pain behind these situations.
“By the way, I run into this problem all the time with RCIA. A couple in their 30’s or 40’s ardently wants to come into the Church, both were baptized Protestants, both had a busted-up marriage in their youth, now the Diocesan Tribunal has to dig up respondents that have, themselves, remarried years ago”.
Something don’t add up here. What they did as Protestants should mean nothing. They didn’t receive a sacramental wedding in the Catholic Church as Protestants. The Catholic Church annulment process is for Catholics. There is a form they have to fill out that says they were protestants when they were married before. The priest signs off on it. They do not have to get an annulment like Catholics. Sounds to me like they are being given the runaround.
I can only address your question from the Maronite Catholic Church perspective. Here in the US, annulments are handled before a tribunal at the eparchial (diocesan) level. It follows Catholic Church law. Marriage Tribunal