On Monday the Ecclesiastical Courts Commission issued their Report on
the constitution of a judicial authority to settle differences in the Church. Apart from a few minor reservations the Report is unanimous. At present the supreme authority is, of course, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The trouble is that thousands of clergy have refused to recognize the jurisdiction of the Judicial Committee and therefore its judgments have not always been enforced. The trouble has gradually become worse, as everyone must admit who sees the lack of discipline among many of the clergy who no doubt are quite sincere i n their disobedience. The Report proposes that the Bishop or Archbishop should be free to sit as judge in the Diocesan or Provincial Court instead of the Chancellor or the Official Principal, and that in all cases theological assessors should be provided. An appeal from the Provincial Court would lie to a Final Court of Appeal.
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