Welcome to the web-page for the Consistory Court of the Diocese of Leeds. Parochial clergy, churchwardens, inspecting architects/surveyors and others will need to be familiar with the practice and procedure of the Consistory Court in the exercise of the faculty jurisdiction which affects all proposed changes to the fabric or content of church buildings. The web-page seeks to act as a repository for relevant material, and suggestions for its improvement are welcome.
A number of significant changes of substance and procedure were introduced with effect from 1 April 2020. These have led to revisions to the Chancellor’s General Directions and the Churchyard Regulations. Although the General Directions provide a helpful summary of the working of the faculty jurisdiction, they are no substitute for the primary resources. Those concerned with the faculty jurisdiction should be familiar with the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care of Churches Measure 2018, which brings together earlier legislation in a single consolidated statute.
The process and procedure in the Consistory Court is to be found in the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015. These Rules were amended and re-numbered by subsequent amending legislation with effect from 1 July 2022. The version here incorporates all the new changes and should be used in preference to the original version of Rules which is now effectively obsolete.
The revised Rules include new versions of List A and List B which significantly extend the classes of work which may be undertaken without a faculty.
Also included on this webpage are the judgments issued by the Chancellor which are illustrative of ecclesiastical law as it applies in specific situations. Those wanting a fuller overview of the ecclesiastical law of the Church of England should consult Mark Hill, Ecclesiastical Law (Oxford University Press, 2018). A few copies of the special paperback edition are available at £40.00 including p & p. Click here.
Please consult the following resources:
Chancellor’s General Directions
Churchyard Regulations
Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care of Churches Measure 2018
Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 (as amended from 1 July 2022)
List A
List B
Online system
Judgments of the Consistory Court of the Diocese of Leeds
Guidance on the Award of Costs in Faculty Proceedings
Annual Fees Order for 2020
The Chancellor of the Diocese of Leeds is Professor Mark Hill KC. He is the judge of the Consistory Court and is responsible for determining whether or not a faculty should be granted. Usually this is on the basis of written representations, although sometimes it is necessary to convene hearings which normally take place in the church concerned. The Deputy Chancellor is Glyn Samuel.
All communications concerning the Consistory Court should be directed to the Registrar, Mr David Whitaker at the Diocesan Registry: 2 The Embankment, Sovereign Street, Leeds LS1 4BA.
