Commissions

PRINCIPAL COMMISSIONS OF THE GENERAL SYNOD

Clergy Discipline Commission

The Clergy Discipline Commission is constituted under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003. Under that Measure the Commission is required to give general advice to disciplinary tribunals, the courts of the Vicars-General, bishops and archbishops as to the penalties which are appropriate in particular circumstances; issue codes of practice and general policy guidance to persons exercising functions in connection with clergy discipline; and make annually to the General Synod through the House of Bishops a report on the exercise of its functions during the previous year.

Under the 2003 Measure the Commission is also required to compile and maintain 'provincial panels' of persons available for appointment as members of a disciplinary tribunal or a Vicar-General's Court for the purposes of dealing with cases under it and to formulate guidance for the purposes of the 2003 Measure generally and to promulgate it in a Code of Practice approved by the Dean of the Arches and the General Synod.

The Commission monitors the exercise of discipline and highlights and encourages best practice.

Members

Chair and President of Tribunals Rt Hon Lord Justice Mummery
Deputy Chair and Deputy President of Tribunals His Honour Judge John Bullimore
Niall Blackie
Ven Annette Cooper (Archdeacon of Colchester)

Revd Canon Cynthia Dowdle
Vasantha Gnanadoss
Ven Alan Hawker (Archdeacon of Malmesbury)
Rt Revd Christopher Hill (Bishop of Guildford)
Rt Revd Michael Hill (Bishop of Bristol)
James Humphery
Michael Sayers

Revd Canon Michael Webb

Staff

Stephen Slack (Chief Legal Adviser to the General Synod)
Adrian Iles (Designated Officer)

Secretary Vacancy
Office Church House, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3NZ
020 7898 1371
email: adrian.iles@c-of-e.org.uk

Crown Nominations Commission

The Commission ( then called the Crown Appointments Commission) was established by the General Synod in February 1977. Its function is to consider vacancies in diocesan bishoprics in the Provinces of Canterbury and York, and candidates for appointments to them. At each meeting the Chair is taken by the Archbishop in whose Province the vacancy has arisen. The Commission agrees upon two names for nomination to the Prime Minister by the appropriate Archbishop or, in the case of the Archbishopric of Canterbury or York, by the chair of the Commission. The names submitted may be given in an order of preference decided upon by the Commission. In accordance with the terms of the Prime Minister's statement to the House of Commons on 8 June 1976, the Prime Minister selects one of the names or may ask for others to submit to Her Majesty the Queen for approval.

Members

Ex officio

Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury)
Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu (Archbishop of York)

Elected Members

Three members of the House of Clergy

Revd Paul Collier
Very Revd Colin Slee
Canon Prof Anthony Thiselton

Three members of the House of Laity

Anthony Archer
Janet Atkinson
Dr Elaine Storkey

Six members of the Vacancy-in-See Committee of the diocese whose bishopric is to become, or has become, vacant

Ex officio non-voting members

William Chapman (The Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary)
Secretary Caroline Boddington
Office Cowley House, 9 Little College St, London SW1P 3SH
020 7898 1876/7
email:caroline.boddington@c-of-e.org.uk

Dioceses Commission

The Dioceses Commission was set up in 1978 under Section 1(1) of the Dioceses Measure. That Measure makes provision for such matters as the reorganization of diocesan boundaries, the creation of area bishops and area synods, the creation and revival of suffragan sees, and the delegation of episcopal functions to a suffragan bishop by a diocesan bishop. The Commission works only within the framework of the Measure, and has two roles. In the first place the Commission is required to consider proposals prepared under the Measure, to report upon them and to make its report available to the diocesan synod of the diocese concerned and to the General Synod. Secondly, it has an advisory role, which is set out in Section 2 of the Measure as follows:

1. It shall be the duty of the Commission, on the instructions of the General Synod, the Archbishops' Council, or the House of Bishops of the General Synod, to advise on matters affecting the diocesan structure of the Provinces of Canterbury and York or on the action which might be taken under this Measure to improve the episcopal oversight of any diocese therein or the administration of its affairs.
2. Where it appears to the Commission that there is any such matter as is mentioned in subsection (1) above on which it might usefully advise, it may bring that matter to the attention of the General Synod or the Archbishops' Council with a view to receiving instructions under that subsection.
3. The Commission shall be available to be consulted by any diocesan synod or the bishop of any diocese on any action which might be taken under this Measure in relation to the diocese.

Members

Chair Prof David McClean
Janet Atkinson
Revd Steven Betts
Rt Revd David James (Bishop of Bradford)
David Kemp
Rt Revd Nicholas Reade (Bishop of Blackburn)
Peter Robottom
Chancellor June Rodgers
Very Revd Colin Slee (Dean of Southwark)
Preb Gill Sumner
Rt Revd Martin Wharton (Bishop of Newcastle)

Secretary Dr Colin Podmore
Office Church House, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3NZ
020 7898 1385
email:colin.podmore@c-of-e.org.uk

Doctrine Commission

The functions of the Doctrine Commission are to consider and advise the House of Bishops of the General Synod upon doctrinal questions referred to it by the House as well as to make suggestions to that House as to what in its judgment are doctrinal issues of concern to the Church of England. Its report, Being Human, was published in July 2003.It sets out a Christian understanding of personhood illustrated with reference to power, money, sex and time.

Secretary Vacant
Office c/o Jonathan Neil-Smith, Church House, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3NZ
020 7898 1373
email: jonathan.neil-smith@c-of-e.org.uk

Fees Advisory Commission

The Fees Advisory Commission is constituted under Part II of the Ecclesiastical Fees Measure 1986, as amended by the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2000 and other legislation. It makes recommendations as to certain fees to be paid to ecclesiastical judges, legal officers and others, and embodies those recommendations in Orders which are laid before the General Synod for approval. If approved, the Orders take effect unless annulled by either House of Parliament, and are published as Statutory Instruments.

Chair His Honour Judge Andrew Rutherford

Members

Timothy Allen

Michael Chamberlain

Aiden Hargreaves-Smith

Geoffrey Tattersall QC

Andreas Whittam Smith

Secretary Vacancy
Office Church House, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3NZ
020 7898 1371
email: stephen.slack@c-of-e.org.uk

Legal Advisory Commission

The Legal Advisory Commission gives advice on legal matters of general interest to the Church which are referred to it by the Archbishops' Council and its Divisions, Boards, Councils and Commissions, by the General Synod and its Houses and Commissions, by the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board, and by diocesan clerical and lay office holders. The Commission cannot accept requests for advice from private individuals or secular bodies. In addition, the Commission cannot normally give opinions on contentious matters, but it may be able to do so (depending on the circumstances) if the facts are agreed by all parties to the dispute, all parties join in referring the matter to the Commission for an opinion and it is not (and is not expected to become) the subject-matter of proceedings in the courts.

The opinions of the Commission and its predecessor, the Legal Board, on matters of general interest are published by Church House Publishing in a loose-leaf form under the title Legal Opinions Concerning the Church of England. Copies can be obtained from Christian bookshops, including Church House Bookshop. A new edition was published in 2007.

Chair Prof David McClean
Secretary Revd Judith Egar
Office Church House, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3NZ
020 7898 1368
Fax: 020 7898 1718/1721
email: judith.egar@c-of-e.org.uk

Members

Prof David McClean (Chair)
Canon John Rees (Vice Chair)
Roger Arden
Peter Beesley
Chancellor Timothy Briden
Chancellor Rupert Bursell
Rt Worshipful Sheila Cameron
David Cheetham
Chancellor Thomas Coningsby
Very Revd Nicholas Coulton
Prof Norman Doe
Ian Garden
Chancellor Charles George
Chancellor Michael Goodman
Sir Anthony Hammond
Rt Revd Christopher Hill (Bishop of Guildford)
Chancellor Mark Hill
Jacqueline Humphreys
Sue Jones
Lionel Lennox
Lord Justice Mummery
Ted Nugee
Chancellor Nigel Seed
Ven Richard Seed (Archdeacon of York)
Stephen Slack
Revd Stephen Trott
Hilary Tyler
Revd Canon James Wellington

STANDING CONSULTANTS

Dr Frank Robson
Robin Stevens
Ted Wills

Legal Aid Commission

The Legal Aid Commission operates under the Church of England (Legal Aid) Measure 1994, and administers the Legal Aid Fund which was originally set up under the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1963 and is continued by the 1994 Measure.

Legal aid under the 1994 Measure may be granted, subject to various conditions, for certain types of proceedings before Ecclesiastical Courts and tribunals; details of eligibility for legal aid and the Commission's procedures, together with an application form for legal aid, are obtainable from the Secretary, on request.

Chair Richard Bowman

Secretary Revd Judith Egar
Office Church House, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3NZ
020 7898 1368
Fax: 020 7898 1718/1721
email: judith.egar@c-of-e.org.uk

Members Isabel Adcock
Barry Barnes
Michael Berrett
Revd Preb John Brownsell
Revd Canon Nicholas Feist
Revd Geoffrey Harbord
Ven Clive Mansell (Archdeacon of Tonbridge)
Ven Nigel Peyton (Archdeacon of Newark)
Rt Revd Alastair Redfern (Bishop of Grantham)
Revd Preb Susan Trickett
John Underwood

Liturgical Commission

In response to resolutions by the Convocations in October 1954, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York appointed a standing Liturgical Commission 'to consider questions of a liturgical character submitted to them from time to time by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and to report thereon to the Archbishops'. In 1971 the Commission became a permanent Commission of the General Synod. Its functions are:

1. to prepare forms of service at the request of the House of Bishops for submission to that House in the first instance;
2. to advise on the experimental use of forms of service and the development of liturgy;
3. to exchange information and advice on liturgical matters with other Churches both in the Anglican Communion and elsewhere;
4. to promote the development and understanding of liturgy and its use in the Church.

Members

Chair Rt Revd Stephen Platten (Bishop of Wakefield)
Vice-Chair Rt Revd Colin Bennetts (Bishop of Coventry)
Revd Dr Anders Bergquist
Revd Canon Mark Bonney
Revd Dr Paul Bradshaw
Revd Canon Dr Christopher Cocksworth
Revd Canon Peter Craig-Wild
Dana Delap
Revd Canon Jeremy Fletcher
Revd Canon Jeremy Haselock
Rt Revd Christopher Hill (Bishop of Guildford)
Revd Canon Dr David Kennedy
Revd Canon Dr Graham Kings
Revd Dr Paul Roberts
Revd Angela Tilby

Secretary Dr Colin Podmore
Office Church House, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3NZ
020 7898 1385
email:colin.podmore@c-of-e.org.uk

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