Charles George QC delivered the first London Lecture of 2020 on 19 February

April 21, 2020

The Ecclesiastical Law Society was delighted to welcome the Rt Worshipful Charles George QC, Dean of the Arches and Auditor, to deliver the first of the 2020 London lectures entitled ‘Do we still need the Faculty System?’ on 19 February. Following a brief history and explanation of the extent and role of the faculty system, the lecture considered a number of reviews of its working, and that of the ecclesiastical exemption, and argued that a no-holds barred review of the faculty system would now be appropriate, with a view to achieving a less cumbrous structural apparatus, with a markedly less restrictive approach to changes with unlisted churches and a more rigorous and expert approach to changes affecting listed churches. It was no surprise that such a thought provoking lecture raised a large number of questions from those gathered at the end. The Society is grateful to Charles for providing a text of the lecture which will be published in the Ecclesiastical Law Journal later this year.