Chancel Repairs Bill (HL Bill 38)

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Explanatory notes to the Bill, prepared by Lord Avebury, the Member in charge of the
Bill, are published separately as HL Bill 38—EN.

A

BILL

TO

Make provision for ending the liability of lay rectors for the repair of chancels.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Abolition of liability to repair chancels

No person shall after the commencement of this Act be liable as lay rector for
the repair of the chancel of any church or chapel.

2 Transitional provisions

(1) 5Section 1 above shall not apply to a person’s liability in respect of a claim made
in proceedings brought against him—

(a) before the commencement of this Act,

(b) within two years of the commencement of this Act by another person
liable as lay rector, or

(c) 10within two years of the commencement of this Act as a party to
proceedings brought before the commencement of this Act against
another person liable as lay rector.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), proceedings shall be treated as brought
against a person on the day on which he is served with process making him a
15party to those proceedings.

(3) Subsection (1) above shall not be construed as enabling proceedings to be
brought against a person by virtue of his becoming lay rector after the
commencement of this Act.

3 Extent, commencement and short title

(1) 20This Act extends to England only.

(2) This Act comes into force on the day it is passed.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Chancel Repairs Act 2014.