Overview

The Legal Office provides professional legal services to the National Church Institutions ('NCIs') of the Church of England, the General Synod, and some national Church bodies such as the Churches Conservation Trust.

The work of the Legal Office includes:

• Legislative work for the General Synod, including preparing draft Measures and Canons, as well as subordinate legislation (such as Statutory Instruments), overseeing their passage through Synod and, where appropriate, Parliament;
• Providing legal advice to the NCIs and their Boards, Councils, Committees and departments;
• Administering the central functions of the Clergy Discipline procedure; and
• Undertaking some specialist ecclesiastical conveyancing.

Post Introduction

As a member of the Legal Office Advisory Team, you will be providing legal services to the National Institutions of the Church of England, in particular in relation to clergy discipline and the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

As Senior Advisory Lawyer (Designated Officer), you will be responsible for performing the national statutory role of Designated Officer under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003.

Information about the statutory clergy discipline process is available at https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/legal-services/clergy-discipline.

Interviews will be held in early December.

In return we offer a unique environment with opportunities for continuous learning, generous annual leave for work life balance, season ticket loans and a range of benefits including discounted entry to attractions and what we feel is a market leading package when it comes to our pension scheme. Further information about our non-contributory pension scheme can be found at https://www.churchofengland.org/pensions.

Main Responsibilities

The Role:

Statutory functions as Designated Officer under the Clergy Discipline Measure:

• Investigating any complaint referred by the diocesan bishop for formal investigation, preparing a report and then referring the complaint to the President or Deputy President of Tribunals for the purpose of deciding whether there is a case to answer;
• Where there is a case to answer, presenting the complaint as advocate before a bishop’s disciplinary tribunal or a vicar general’s court, including taking all necessary steps to prepare the case for hearing;
• Acting as advocate on appeals from the decisions of tribunals / vicar general’s courts to the provincial courts of appeal;
• Supporting and advising the Clergy Discipline Commission in the exercise of its statutory responsibility for the system of clergy discipline established under the CDM;
• Developing and analysing with the Commission new policies and practices, including adapting where needed existing disciplinary processes, advising the Commission in respect of revisions to its national Code of Practice, and drafting proposed amendments to the Code for approval by the General Synod; and
• Providing informal advice, training and support to others (e.g. bishops and their registrars) on the operation of the CDM procedures

Other advisory and legislative work:

• Providing legal advice to the General Synod and its committees, the House of Bishops and its committees and working groups and the Archbishops’ Council and its committees and staff (including the National Safeguarding Team) on issues relating to clergy discipline and safeguarding;
• Supporting the development and enactment of legislation relating to discipline and safeguarding (including through the development of policy and legislative proposals to give effect to such policy); instructing on the preparation of draft legislation by Legislative Counsel, being responsible for its passage through the General Synod and Parliament and for its implementation; 
• Supporting and advising the Ecclesiastical Rule Committee in the exercise of its statutory responsibility for the making of statutory rules in relation to clergy discipline and safeguarding, including by drafting rules for the Committee’s consideration and approval;
• Acting as required as assistant Registrar of the General Synod when in session, by attending sittings of the Synod and advising the Chair as to the interpretation of Standing Orders and the practice and procedure of the Synod; and
• Acting as Legal Adviser to the Houses of the General Synod, and their committees, as required.
   

About Us

We in the National Church Institutions support the mission and ministries of the Church all over England. We work with parishes, dioceses (regional offices), schools, other ministries and our partners at a national and international level.

Excellence, Respect, Integrity

We follow these three values in everything we do, whether we are of Christian faith, another faith or no faith. To learn more about working for National Church Institutions and our benefits, please click here

As we are a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, we welcome all applications from those you have served in our Armed Forces and their families

We are committed to building a culturally diverse workforce. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from people, regardless of their background. As a Disability Confident committed employer, it is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practical or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria* due to high volume. We limit the amount of interviews conducted to five applicants per open post we advertise.

*Where applicable depending on post requirements.