Law and Rights
The Church of England is the "established" church in England. It has the right to have 26 Bishops (including the two Archbishops) in Parliament - they sit in the House of Lords. All Bishops are male and females may not be appointed. An attempt in the Church of England's General Synod to reverse this was defeated on 20th November - see C of E statement. The Synod is made up of the "Convocations of Canterbury and York", a house of bishops, a house of clergy to which is added a house of laity. To change the position, a majority of two-thirds was required in each House. It was the Laity which, by just 6 votes, rejected the proposal to have female Bishops.
The rejection of female bishops has upset many in the church and also, it appears, in Parliament - The Guardian 21st November. Also, whilst the church has exemptions under equality law, the move is seen by many as perpetuating unacceptable discrimination. An e-petition has been raised to try to get a debate in Parliament on the issue.
If things are left where they are, a fresh attempt to alter the law cannot be made in the Synod until 2015. However, the church has a procedure which might be used to introduce new draft legislation - C of E statement. An alternative is that Parliament itself acts to alter the law. There is a constitutional convention that Parliament does not alter the law of the church unless the church agrees. However, it is a convention and not strict law and so Parliament could act. If it were to do so, much wider issues such as disestablishing the church would undoubtedly arise.
The C of E has an interesting website with a considerable amount of legal information as to how church "measures" are enacted. They are a form of legislation similar to Acts of Parliament and they have to be approved by Parliament and must receive Royal Assent. HM the Queen is Supreme Governor of the Church of England. This role is historical - dating back to the reign of Henry VIII and the Act of Supremacy 1534.
It will be particularly interesting to see how this situation develops.
Reflections on Church and State - Law and Lawyers 28th April 2011
Failure to vote in women bishops risks 'constitutional crisis' in Church - Telegraph 26th November.
National Secular Society - Church of England's establishment is well past its sell-by date - 21st November.
National Secular Society - Church and State need to be set free - 22nd November
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Law and Rights
Female bishops - is the Church of England for turning?
The rejection of female bishops has upset many in the church and also, it appears, in Parliament - The Guardian 21st November. Also, whilst the church has exemptions under equality law, the move is seen by many as perpetuating unacceptable discrimination. An e-petition has been raised to try to get a debate in Parliament on the issue.
If things are left where they are, a fresh attempt to alter the law cannot be made in the Synod until 2015. However, the church has a procedure which might be used to introduce new draft legislation - C of E statement. An alternative is that Parliament itself acts to alter the law. There is a constitutional convention that Parliament does not alter the law of the church unless the church agrees. However, it is a convention and not strict law and so Parliament could act. If it were to do so, much wider issues such as disestablishing the church would undoubtedly arise.
The C of E has an interesting website with a considerable amount of legal information as to how church "measures" are enacted. They are a form of legislation similar to Acts of Parliament and they have to be approved by Parliament and must receive Royal Assent. HM the Queen is Supreme Governor of the Church of England. This role is historical - dating back to the reign of Henry VIII and the Act of Supremacy 1534.
It will be particularly interesting to see how this situation develops.
----- ooooooo -----
Reflections on Church and State - Law and Lawyers 28th April 2011
Failure to vote in women bishops risks 'constitutional crisis' in Church - Telegraph 26th November.
National Secular Society - Church of England's establishment is well past its sell-by date - 21st November.
National Secular Society - Church and State need to be set free - 22nd November
- 60 Years Ago Today
2nd June is the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The BBC has had the original footage digitally remastered - see here and the The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II may be viewed on BBC Parliament from 1010 BST on...
- Marriage (same Sex Couples) Bill ~ Key Features
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill aims to enable lawful marriages between two males or two females. It is a government bill sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the department has issued Equal Marriage with a view...
- Royal Concerns Over The Succession To The Crown Bill
In 2011, it was announced that agreement had been reached with those countries where HM The Queen is Head of State that the law would be amended so that succession to the Crown will not depend on gender. The announcement followed the Commonwealth...
- House Of Lords Reform ~ Second Reading
Update: The Guardian 11th July - "Lords Reform: Cameron plans to offer Clegg watered-down deal" On Tuesday 10th July, with Labour support, the House of Lords Reform Bill passed its Second Reading by 462 votes to 124 - The Guardian 11th July - though...
- Matters Royal
HM The Queen in ParliamentUpdated The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 countries that support each other and work together towards shared goals in democracy and development. In 2009, the Commonwealth reaffirmed certain core values...