Up to and including final approval by General Synod

Clergy Conduct Measure – update, the General Synod of the Church of England  finally approved the new Clergy Conduct Measure. This post provides links to some earlier developments, the material presented to Synod and the amendments following discussion, (18 February 2025).

Church of England General Synod: Clergy Conduct Measure, General approved the new Clergy Conduct Measure. If and when it is approved by Parliament, it will replace the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003. (13 February 2025).

Clergy Conduct Measure – General Synod update, an update on previous summary of 14 February 2024 concerning the debate at General Synod on Saturday 6 July 2024. Three papers on the Clergy Conduct Measure have been circulated for consideration by General Synod:

• Clergy Conduct Measure (GS 2311A)
• Clergy Conduct Measure – Explanatory Notes (GS 2311X2)
• Clergy Conduct Measure – Revision Committee (GS 2311Y)

Of these, the Revision Committee document provides a useful summary, extracts of which are reproduced below. Appendix C contains a flowchart showing an overview of the system, and Appendix B summarizes the proposed amendments and the Committee’s decision. (29 June 2024).

Clergy Conduct Measure: update February 2024, Papers for General Synod on 23 to 27 February 2024 were:

• Clergy Conduct Measure (GS 2311)
• Clergy Conduct Measure Explanatory Notes (GS 2311X)

Proposals for complaints are to be allocated into three different tracks, depending on seriousness: “Grievance”, “Allegation of misconduct” and “Allegation of serious misconduct”. An update (“the Paper”) was circulated with the papers for the forthcoming Group of Sessions for the meeting at Church House on 23 to 27 February 2024, and is summarized below.

The Paper provides a brief update on the work of the Steering Committee and the Revision Committee [2]. On the 27 November 2023 both Committees took the decision to bring the draft Measure back to Synod in July 2024: to allow the detailed work of the Revision Committee to continue and be fully completed; to allow the Rule Committee to consider draft indicative rules to be presented alongside the draft Measure at the revision stage; and to allow for further consultation on particular areas, including with survivors and Royal Peculiars [7]. (14 February 2024).

House of Bishops meeting – January 2025, (21 January 2025).

Use of documents in CDM proceedings. In her CDM ruling issued on 8 April 2024, de Mestre Ch signalled an end to further consideration of the Tribunal Decision The Revd Canon Richard Peers, 21 March 2024. She indicated, inter alia, “[i]t may be necessary in another case to investigate the precise ambit of the Code of Practice and the Statutory Guidance (and the Rules) [of the CDM] and how they interact but that is not warranted here” [14]. In its February update on the development of the Clergy Conduct Measure, General Synod was informed that the new Measure was expected to come into operation in early 2026. (14 April 2024).

General Synod Papers for February 2024. The “GS Misc” papers which were not debated included an update on the Clergy Conduct Measure (GS Misc 1368). (11 February 2024).

Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice (ACRJ) In its Third Report, the  ACRJ stated that it was monitoring the process of revising the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM), [see  Legal Issues July Synod (2): Clergy Conduct Measure]. The Commission met with a representative of the NCI legal office and is liaising with them on the draft Clergy Conduct Measure (CCM). The Commission seeks assurance that when the legislation is updated it will substantially address the concerns raised that GMH/UKME (UK Minority Ethnic or Global Majority Heritage) clergy are treated in a unequal manner. (10 August 2023).

Last updated: 18 February 2025 at 18:42.