Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care of Churches Measure 2018

3 Judge: term of office

(1) The term of a person’s appointment as chancellor of a diocese—

(a) begins with the date of the appointment, and

(b) subject to the following provisions of this section, ends with the day on which the person reaches the age of 70.

(2) The chancellor of a diocese may resign the office by instrument in writing signed by him or her and addressed to, and served on, the bishop of the diocese.

(3) The bishop of a diocese may remove the chancellor of the diocese from office if the Upper House of the Convocation of the province concerned resolves that he or she is incapable of acting or unfit to act; and such a resolution must be filed in the registry of the province concerned.

(4) Where, during the course of proceedings in the consistory court, the chancellor of the diocese reaches the age of 70, he or she may continue to act as chancellor for the purposes of the proceedings as if the day on which the proceedings concluded in that court were the day on which he or she reached that age.

(5) Where the bishop of a diocese considers that it would be desirable in the interests of the diocese to retain the chancellor in office after the date on which he or she would otherwise retire under subsection (1) or (4), the bishop may authorise the continuance in office of the chancellor after that date for a period of up to two years.

(6) The bishop of a diocese may authorise the further continuance in office of the chancellor of the diocese for periods of up to one year at a time.

(7) The period during which a person remains in office as chancellor may not be continued under subsection (5) or (6) beyond the date on which the person reaches the age of 75.

(8) Before authorising a period of continuance under subsection (5) or (6), the bishop must consult the Dean of the Arches and Auditor.

(9) Where the chancellor of a diocese is continuing in office under subsection (5) or (6) and, during the course of proceedings in the consistory court, the period of continuance under that subsection expires, he or she may continue to act as chancellor for the purposes of the proceedings as if the day on which the proceedings concluded in that court were the day on which the period of continuance expired.

(10) The references in subsections (1) and (4) to reaching the age of 70 apply only in the case of a person appointed as chancellor on or after 31 March 1995; in the case of a person appointed as chancellor before that date, the references are to be read as references to reaching the age at which a circuit judge appointed on the day on which the person was appointed as chancellor would be obliged to vacate office.