The Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make provision for enabling a person to hold ecclesiastical office beyond the age of 70. Given the terms of the enabling power in section 2 of the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Measure 2009, the Regulations apply only to offices held under Common Tenure.

Regulation 2(1) inserts a new regulation 29A in the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Regulations 2009. The new regulation enables a diocesan bishop, suffragan bishop, dean, residentiary canon or archdeacon to continue in office beyond the age of 70 for one or more terms, but not beyond the age of 75. It also enables a person to be appointed, or to continue in office, as the incumbent of a benefice beyond the age of 70 for one or more terms, but with no maximum age. And it restates the provision currently in regulation 29(1)(b) of those Regulations, enabling a person to hold office beyond the age of 70 under a licence from the diocesan bishop. In each case under the new regulation 29A, the term of office must be for a fixed period or subject to termination on the occurrence of a specified event.

Regulation 2(2) makes consequential amendments to regulation 29 of those Regulations.

Regulation 2(3) and (4) make consequential amendments to the Ecclesiastical Offices (Age Limits) Measure 1975 so as to disapply the general provision for ecclesiastical office to come to an end when the holder of the office reaches the age of 70 and to confine the provision enabling service beyond the age of 70 to persons who do not hold office subject to Common Tenure.