231st Report by the Ecclesiastical
Committee
1. The Ecclesiastical Committee has met and considered
the Diocese in Europe Measure and the Clergy Discipline (Amendment)
Measure referred to the Committee under the provisions of the
Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919.
2. The Diocese in Europe Measure makes
provision for the funding of the development of the diocese's
mission and for the way in which Article 8 of the Constitution
of the General Synod applies in the diocese.
3. Section 1 of the Measure makes provision enabling
the Church Commissioners for England and the Archbishops' Council
to make payments to the Diocese in Europe for the development
of its mission.
4. Section 2 of the Measure amends Article 8
of the Constitution of the General Synod so that business referred
for approval under Article 8 is considered by the diocesan synod
of the Diocese in Europe, rather than the bishop's council and
standing committee of the diocese. This brings the arrangements
for the Diocese of Europe into line with those for all other dioceses
of the Church of England in this regard.
5. The Comments and Explanations printed with
this report give further details of the provisions of the Diocese
in Europe Measure and the background to the Measure. A transcript
of the Committee's proceedings with representatives of the Church
of England is printed with this report.
6. The Committee is of the opinion that the
Diocese in Europe Measure is expedient.
7. The Clergy Discipline (Amendment) Measure
makes a number of changes to the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003
("the 2003 Measure").
8. Section 1 of the Measure amends section 8
of the 2003 Measure so that it will be unbecoming or inappropriate
conduct for a cleric to be a member of, or to promote, or express
or solicit support for, a political party or other organisation
whose constitution, policies, objectives, activities or public
statements are declared to be incompatible with the teachings
of the Church of England in relation to race equality.
9. Section 3 of the Measure makes provision about
appeals, including provision that a party wishing to appeal, following
a determination in a bishop's disciplinary tribunal or a Vicar-General's
Court, will no longer have an automatic right of appeal but will
require leave to appeal.
10. Sections 4 to 7 confer increased powers for
the removal, or suspension, of a cleric from office following
criminal conviction, or inclusion in a barred list established
under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
11. The remaining sections of the Measure make
a number of minor, consequential or technical amendments to the
2003 Measure and related Measures.
12. The Comments and Explanations printed with
this report give further details of the provisions of the Clergy
Discipline (Amendment) Measure and the background to the Measure.
A transcript of the Committee's proceedings with representatives
of the Church of England is printed with this report.
13. The Committee is of the opinion that the
Clergy Discipline (Amendment) Measure is expedient.
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