Citation and commencement

1.-(1) This Order may be cited as the General Synod of the Church of England (Postponement of Elections) Order 2020.

(2) This Order comes into force on the day after the date on which it is made.

Postponement

2.  The date on which the Convocations of Canterbury and York stand dissolved for the purposes of the Church of England Convocations Act 1966(2) is postponed to 31st July 2021.

Ancillary provision

3.-(1) A person who, immediately before the scheduled dissolution, is a member of the Convocation of Canterbury or York or a member of the House of Laity of the General Synod is to continue as such until the next dissolution of the General Synod or, if sooner, the vacation of the member's seat or the member's term of office otherwise coming to an end.

(2) Each person who, immediately before the scheduled dissolution, holds a Convocation office continues to hold that office in accordance with the person's terms of service as such; and for this purpose, "Convocation office" means-

(a)the office of Prolocutor of the Convocation of Canterbury or York,

(b)the office of Pro-Prolocutor of the Convocation of Canterbury,

(c)one of the four other elected offices of the Standing Committee of the Lower House of the Convocation of Canterbury,

(d)the office of Deputy Prolocutor of the Convocation of York, or

(e)the office of Assessor of the Upper or Lower House of the Convocation of York.

(3) The person who, immediately before the scheduled dissolution, holds office as the Chair or Vice-Chair of the House of Laity of the General Synod continues to hold office as such in accordance with the Constitution of the General Synod(3) and the standing orders of the House.

(4) A member of either Convocation or of the House of Laity of the General Synod who, immediately before the scheduled dissolution, is a member of a Board, Commission, Committee or other body of the General Synod continues as such in accordance with the Constitution of the General Synod.

(5) A member of either Convocation or of the House of Laity of the General Synod who, immediately before the scheduled dissolution, is an ex officio member of a body constituted under the Church Representation Rules(4) continues as such in accordance with those Rules.

(6) Where a casual vacancy in the Upper or Lower House of either Convocation or in the House of Laity of the General Synod has not been filled because it arose during the 12 months before the period for holding a general election to that House was due to begin, that vacancy is to be filled as it would have been if it had arisen before the beginning of that 12-month period.

(7) This Article does not affect the power of the bishop of each diocese under Rule 78 of the Church Representation Rules (power to make supplementary provision etc.).

(8) "Scheduled dissolution" means the end of 23rd November 2020 (the date on which the Convocations would, but for this Order, have stood dissolved subject to being dissolved sooner pursuant to Her Majesty's directions).

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order is made under section 84 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and postpones to 31st July 2021 the date on which the Convocations of Canterbury and York are dissolved.

The effect of that is to postpone the elections to the General Synod of the Church of England, which had otherwise been expected to be held this autumn. Under paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 2 to the Synodical Government Measure 1969, the General Synod is automatically dissolved when the Convocations are dissolved.

Article 3 of the Order makes provision for matters which are ancillary to the postponement, including provision for membership of the General Synod, offices held in the Synod and membership of any body of the Synod or constituted under the Church Representation Rules.