‘The Church of England has issued the following Statement on the case of the former Church of England rector David Tudor, highlighted in the BBC File on Four documentary.’
Law & Religion UK, 16th December 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell is facing calls to resign over his handling of a sexual abuse case, days before he takes temporary charge of the Church of England.’
BBC News, 16th December 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘On 10 December 2024, the Diocese of St Albans published its action plan in response to the Independent Review into Soul Survivor by Fiona Scolding KC. Building on its initial response from 26 September, the plan outlines changes to be implemented within the Diocese and recommendations for the wider Church of England. Developed over three months of engagement with diocesan governance bodies, the response is issued by the Senior Staff Team. The Press Release is reproduced below, and the full response is here.’
Law & Religion UK, 13th December 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘In Re St Mary the Virgin Weston Turville [2024] ECC Oxf 8, Mrs Deborah Clark sought a faculty authorising the installation of a memorial commemorating her late husband, Joe. Though a Christian, he was of Jewish heritage, and Mrs Clarke wanted both a Star of David and a cross on his gravestone, explaining that “whilst Joe accepted Christianity, he was brought up with the Jewish Faith, and so I want to represent both Faiths on the headstone”. In doing so, she had the support of the Archdeacons of Buckingham and Oxford [5-7]. Her petition was unopposed; however, the former Chancellor of the Diocese of Norwich had recently ruled against allowing a Star of David on a memorial stone in that diocese.’
Law & Religion UK, 4th December 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘The human race has always had an emotional attachment to trees. Trees live so much longer than a human lifespan that we imagine, perhaps sentimentally and fancifully, that they probably knew our ancestors and witnessed significant historical events. Certain familiar trees have become particular objects of affection. The wanton felling of the Gap Sycamore tree caused national outrage.’
Law & Religion UK, 22nd November 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘John Smyth’s death in 2018 meant an “appalling abuser” associated with the Church of England escaped justice for crimes stretching back decades. Smyth used his role in a Christian charity to assault over 100 children and young men – and the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned after being criticised in a scathing report earlier this month. Now, an advocate for the victims of John Smyth tells the BBC the police were not “sufficiently curious” when told about him.’
BBC News, 17th November 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The independent review led by Keith Makin into the Church of England’s handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth was published on 7 November 2024. The 253-page Review includes eight Key Recommendations [Review paragraph numbers in black] and twenty seven Specific Recommendations directed at particular concerns.’
Law & Religion UK, 14th November 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘A Church of England bishop has called on the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign, calling his position “untenable” after a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church.’
BBC News, 11th November 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘On 5 November, the Church of England published a report for the Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice, Behind the Stained-Glass: A Report on the Participation of UK Minoritised Ethnic People in the Ministry and Leadership of the Church of England.’
Law & Religion UK, 6th November 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘The law on burial and cremation in England and Wales, some of which dates back to the mid-19th century, is complicated and outdated. It has evolved as a patchwork of different laws which apply to different burial grounds depending on who operates them (eg the Church of England, local authorities or private owners). There are also gaps in the law. Burial space is running out, with the situation worst in some urban areas. Grave reuse has long been seen as a solution to this problem, but not all burial grounds are permitted to reuse graves.’
Law & Religion UK, 3rd October 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘In UK courts and elsewhere, it is sometimes necessary to introduce an element of anonymity into the proceedings and their reporting, as in the consistory court judgment Re St. Margaret Ormesby [2024] ECC Nor 5 where, unusually, one of the petitioners expressed concerns on aspects of the judgment which might become known to the joint applicant. Additionally, the “medical harm” criterion of Re Blagdon was considered.’
Law & Religion UK, 30th September 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘“We know your taste for curious quips, For cranks and contradictions queer“…
…. and in the recent judgment Re St. Mary Fawkham [2024] ECC Roc 1 Willink Ch. evinces the solution to the question “When is a petition not a petition?“, in which circumstances “a memorial” (in a churchyard) had to be distinguished from the broader (legal) meaning of “a memorial” . The circumstances of the case itself will be familiar to canon lawyers – the Petitioner wished to install a memorial in the churchyard in memory of his late wife. The proposed memorial was a headstone and kerbs, the proposed stone being polished paradiso granite, described as “a swirling mixture of pink, grey, red and black colours in a strongly-defined tortoiseshell-type pattern.”’
Law & Religion UK, 29th August 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘The Church of England made a six-figure pay-off to a priest assessed as a potential risk to children and young people, a BBC investigation has found.’
BBC news, 13th August 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘All Saints Spring Park Parochial Church Council v Church Commissioners [2024] UKPC 23 was an appeal by the PCC and the incumbent of All Saints Spring Park under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council against a scheme made by the Church Commissioners under the Measure. An episcopal visitation in 2016 had concluded that the parish was not financially viable [5], and the Commissioners made a scheme under the Measure to dissolve the parish and divide its area between the neighbouring parishes of St John Shirley and St George Shirley. The incumbent, Revd Yvonne Clarke – who was the first black woman to be ordained deacon in the Church of England and one of the first women to be ordained priest [3] – and the Parochial Church Council had made written representations on the proposal, but the Bishop of Southwark duly approved the scheme in June 2020.’
Law & Religion UK, 31st July 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Further to the notices relating to Jonathan Fletcher posted by the Diocese of Southwark and the Metropolitan Police, it is perhaps timely to include a link to the Attorney General’s Note, Contempt of court and social media.’
Law & Religion UK, 14th July 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘From his initial burial to the final interment in the church of St Mary and the Holy Rood, Donington, the remains of Captain Flinders have been been covered by different tranches of legislation: that relating to the churchyard in which he was first buried; that concerning the custody of the body during and after the infrastructure project; and finally, the ecclesiastical provisions governing burial within the church.’
Law & Religion UK, 12th July 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Carrying out building work unlawfully and then applying for retrospective permission is always risky, whether in the ecclesiastical courts or under the secular planning laws. If permission is refused it may result in the work having to be demolished at great expense and inconvenience.’
Law & Religion UK, 21st May 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Church pipe organs have featured in fewer than 2% of the total number of consistory court judgments reviewed in L&RUK. Nevertheless, the following links provide an indication of the range of issues that have been considered by the courts.’
Law & Religion UK, 10th May 2024
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
© Inner Temple Library 2024