Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill 2026-27

The Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill 2026-27 was presented in the House of Commons on 15 September 2026 and received its first reading. Subject to an allocation of time motion, the bill will have all its Commons stages on Wednesday 21 October.

What does the bill do?

The purpose of the bill is to remove historic restrictions that prevent a Prime Minister or Lord Chancellor who professes either the Catholic or Jewish faith advising the King on appointments to offices in the Church of England or making such appointments themselves.

The Church of England is the established church in England. King Charles III is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and is responsible for appointing archbishops, bishops and other members of the clergy.

By long-standing constitutional convention, the Prime Minister is responsible for formally advising the Sovereign on many of these appointments, of which there are more than 350. The Lord Chancellor also makes appointments to certain Crown livings in the King’s name.

The bill would repeal parts of the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 and the Jews Relief Act 1858 in its entirety to remove these restrictions. This would enable any Prime Minister or other ministers who profess the Catholic or Jewish faiths to advise the Sovereign on ecclesiastical appointments.

The text of the bill and its explanatory notes are provided at the bill pages on the UK parliamentary website.