The manuscript was produced in France and contains a complete copy of the 'Decretals', or 'Liber extra', of Pope Gregory IX. The volume also contains two short excerpts; the 'Repetitio X.3.26.18' of Raynald Archbishop of Rheims and a passage from the 'Decretals' of Gratian entitled 'Scribitur ii. regum xxi. capitulo'.

The contents are as follows:

‘Decretals’ of Pope Gregory IX. Folios 1-247r.

Folio 247v was prepared with a ruled grid of guidelines for text but is otherwise blank, except for the text ‘Folio textus.250.’ at the head.

Folio 248r, prepared with a ruled grid of guidelines for text, but otherwise blank.

An index to the ‘Decretals’ of Pope Gregory IX. Folio 248v.

Folio 249 is blank.

Excerpt of ‘Repetitio X.3.26.18’ of Reynaldus. Folio 250r.

Folio 250v is blank.

Folio 251r is blank, except for a later inscription.

Excerpt of the ‘Decretals’ of Gratian. Folio 251v.

Various notes relating to Canon Law. Folios 252-253r.

The text of the ‘Decretals’ is written in littera textualis in double columns of 44 lines each. With the exception of folio 1, a rubric occupies the centre of the head of each folio recto and verso: on each verso, the capital ‘L’, for ‘Liber’, in red; on each recto, the Roman numeral for the particular book. The numerals for books ‘I’ and ‘V’ are in blue. The pen strokes forming the numerals for books ‘II’ to ‘III’ are alternately red and blue. At the centre head of folio 1 is recorded in full, ‘Liber Primus’.

Books I and II begin with illuminated initials: book I an inhabited initial ‘G’; book II a decorated initial ‘D’. In both cases the remainder of the opening phrase is also illuminated, but less ornately with white letters on coloured backgrounds. Books III, IV and V each begin with each letter of the first word represented as elongated pen-flourished letters, litterae florissae, with the colour of the letters alternately blue and red. The ordinary initials throughout are alternately blue and red, and have extended pen flourishes.

The gloss by Bernard of Botone is arranged in two columns which enclose the text of the ‘Decretals’. The gloss is present on folios 1r-153r and 175r-194v. The gap, folios 153v-174, starts at X.3, ‘De conversion infidelium’, and continues to the end of ‘Liber III’, and starts again from folios 194v-247r, 'Liber V'. Gero Dolezalek has noted that the gloss is linked to the text of the ‘Decretals’ mostly through numerous underlined lemmata, but also partly through signs formed of dots, dashes, and circles. The gloss is frequently ornamented in plain pen work with conventional tailpieces, often in the form of half human and half animal grotesques.

According to Dolezalek, the excerpted works and notes at the rear of the volume are written in a 14th century Anglo-Norman hand.

Each folio recto and verso has been ruled. Prickings marking the top and bottom of the vertical lines of the text columns are evident on many folios, but not for the horizontal lines. Contemporary repairs are evident on some folios.

In addition to the central text and the gloss, there are some interlineal and marginal annotations, as well as maniculae, throughout.

The vellum has been cut away from the bottom of folios 158, 172, and 214, with some loss of ornament on folios 158 and 214r.

The paper pastedowns of the boards have various numerical inscriptions, possibly referring to catalogue reference numbers for the volume. The current shelfmark '10.1.1' is found on the pastedown at the front, as well as on the verso side of the subsequent flyleaf.