The General Synod of the Church of England has approved the new Clergy Conduct Measure. If and when it is approved by Parliament, it will replace the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003.
The new measure introduces a tiered approach to complaints, ensuring that different levels of concern are handled proportionately. For cases of serious misconduct it reintroduces the penalty of deposition from Holy Orders.
Under the measure, grievances will now be addressed locally through informal resolution, ensuring that minor issues do not escalate unnecessarily. Cases of misconduct will be investigated by a case assessor, with bishops imposing penalties where appropriate, while the most serious cases will be handled centrally by an independent Investigation and Tribunals Team.
The reforms also introduce a number of measures to improve fairness and efficiency. A new threshold test for suspensions will prevent unnecessary exclusions, while the abolition of ‘no further action’ decisions ensures that all complaints reach a clear outcome. A dedicated system for handling vexatious complaints, including the power to impose restraint orders, will help protect clergy from unjustified allegations. Clergy will also be able to self-refer concerns about their conduct, encouraging greater transparency.
The motion finalising the measure was approved with votes recorded as follows:
- Bishops: 25 for; 0 against; 0 abstentions
- Clergy: 128 for; 0 against; 1 abstention
- Laity: 145 for; 0 against; 2 abstentions.
The measure now goes forward for its Parliamentary stages and Royal Assent, with Rules to be laid before the Synod in July and a Code of Practice to be finalised thereafter. The new Measure could come into operation from early 2026.
This is a landmark moment for all those – both complainants and respondents – who found the CDM totally inadequate in many ways. The details of both Rules and Code will be important, but the new overall framework is so much better in many ways.
Now on to look at the ‘Guidelines for Professional Conduct of the clergy’ which were first issued in 2003, slightly updated in 2015, but as a reason of the Convocations were always inadequate to serve as ‘benchmark’ for formal conduct proceedings – which they are now explicitly referenced as under CCM – varying as they do between minimal acceptable standards, and aspirational ideals. That is an important next piece of work… and likely to be non-trivial in its outworking.
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