Legal Services

Overview

The Legal Office provides professional legal services to the National Church Institutions of the Church of England (principally the General Synod, the Archbishops' Council, the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board) and some other national Church bodies, such as the Churches Conservation Trust.

The work of the Legal Office broadly comprises:

• legislative work for the General Synod, including the preparation of draft Measures and Canons, as well as subordinate legislation (such as Statutory Instruments), and the oversight of their passage through Synod and, where appropriate, Parliament;
• the provision of legal advice to the National Church Institutions and their constituent Boards, Councils, Committees and departments in relation to the application of ecclesiastical and/or civil law to their various functions and activities; and
• property transactional work in connection with the Church Commissioners' statutory functions in relation to land owned by the Church of England.

The staff of the Legal Office liaise over legal matters affecting the wider Church of England with diocesan registrars (the solicitors appointed to advise and act for each diocese and its bishop) and with diocesan bishops' legal advisers.

To follow the advice provided in these pages, you will often need to know in which diocese you live and/or worship. If you are unsure, you should consult the Church of England Year Book or the 'Where to find us' pages elsewhere on this website. If you have any questions, queries or requests for more information in relation to any of the information provided here, contact the Legal Office at Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ; tel. +44 (0)20 7898 1000; email legal@c-of-e.org.uk.