The General Synod of the Church of England is to consider a new system for dealing with complaints against clergy. Under Authority - Report on Clergy Discipline is published today by the Working Party reviewing Clergy Discipline and the Working of the Ecclesiastical Courts and will be considered at the General Synod meeting later this month. (Synod meets week of 25th Nov).

The report looks at the context of clergy discipline in the Scriptures, the Anglican tradition and in the principles of natural justice and makes a number of recommendations for a comprehensive change in the way that clergy discipline is handled.

The main recommendation is that a completely new process should replace the present system of Ecclesiastical Courts which date from before William the Conqueror. The Courts have been reformed several times in the intervening centuries and the system was last simplified in 1963. Since then only three discipline cases have been heard by the Ecclesiastical courts and the report concludes that the process of prosecuting a cleric in this way is too time-consuming and costly.

Under the new arrangements a tribunal system would be introduced with a supporting legal department which would deal with nearly all disciplinary complaints against clergy whether or not they resulted in a formal prosecution. A formal, written complaint would be made, as at present, to the Diocesan bishop but a major change is that a legal department could be involved by the bishop at an early stage and that all complainants would have the option of referring the matter to the legal department if not satisfied with the Bishop's initial response. In cases where a formal procedure is required, a range of options is open to the diocesan Bishop.

The report also recommends that the practice of accepting the resignation of a cleric instead of pursuing disciplinary proceedings be modified. Other proposals deal with changes to the way some clergy are licensed to give them greater job security and the Caution List which registers clergy who are under discipline.

Under Authority also contains an appendix prepared by the Clergy Conditions of Service Steering Group setting out complementary recommendations dealing with minor complaints, ministerial review and grievance procedures.

The report has only the authority of the Working Party which produced it unless and until it is debated and accepted by the General Synod.

Under Authority - Report on Clergy Discipline is published by Church House Publishing, price £5.95 (£8.45 by air int'l post) and is available from Church House Bookshop, 31 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BN, tel 0171-340 0276/77, fax 0171-340 0278 credit cards etc.