A parliamentary committee has urged reconsideration of the Church of England's proposal for church courts to automatically operate in private. The move, which seeks to replace the existing clergy disciplinary measure, has faced criticism for potentially shielding serious allegations of misconduct from public scrutiny. Members of the committee highlighted public concerns regarding the automatic privacy of these hearings, emphasizing the need for transparency similar to other secular tribunals. While the church's legal adviser characterized the proceedings as merely private, MPs expressed that this approach could isolate the Church from contemporary disciplinary standards.
Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, the chair of the committee and a former head of the courts, urged the witnesses to look at sitting in public, because that's an issue which a number of people have raised, and I share the concern.
Al Pinkerton, the Liberal Democrat MP for Surrey Heath, said the fact that it is private by default and public by exception certainly has raised more than one eyebrow.
Danny Kruger, the Conservative MP for East Wiltshire, said the measure would leave the Church of England out of step with other disciplinary systems.
Edward Dobson, the church's legal adviser, disputed the characterisation of the measure. These are not secret hearings, he said. These are private hearings, where the evidence is taken in private.
#church-of-england #clergy-misconduct #parliamentary-committee #public-hearings #disciplinary-measures
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