The Clergy Discipline Rules 2005

Conditional deferment of a complaint against a bishop or archbishop

83.—(1) Where the respondent is a bishop or archbishop and has consented in writing to a conditional deferment, the archbishop or the other archbishop, as the case may be, shall within 21 days send—

(a) to the complainant and the respondent a copy of the determination to impose a conditional deferment, and

(b) to the registrar of the province of the respondent a copy of the determination, the complaint with evidence in support, and the respondent’s answer, if any, with evidence in support, and the provincial registrar shall maintain a record of the conditional deferment for such period not exceeding five years as the archbishop or other archbishop may determine;

and form 6 and rule 24(b) shall be adapted accordingly by omitting reference to notification to the archbishop.

(2) The provincial registrar’s record of the conditional deferment shall not be open to public inspection but shall be made available to diocesan bishops, and registrars.