The Church of England's governing body has reapproved a new system for handling complaints against clergy after Parliament intervened to strengthen transparency.
The new Clergy Conduct Measure (CCM) represents an overhaul of how disciplinary cases involving clergy are handled. It replaces the long-standing Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM), which has been widely criticised within the Church as slow, complex and burdensome for both complainants and clergy.
The CCM was first approved by Synod in February last year and then sent to Parliament, a required step before church legislation can receive Royal Assent. However, the Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament declared the measure “not expedient”.
The committee raised concerns that it was presumed that disciplinary hearings would be held in private, except in limited circumstances, arguing that this fell short of the principle of "open justice".
As a result, the CCM was formally reintroduced to General Synod, where members agreed to an amendment reversing that presumption.
Under the revised wording, tribunals will now sit in public by default, unless it is agreed that private hearings are “in the interests of justice” or where specific circumstances apply.
Introducing the amendment, Dr Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester, said private hearings would usually apply in cases "where a child or vulnerable witness were to give evidence".
