News & Updates

Solicitors in Westminster, London

Lee Bolton Monier-Williams authors publication on Ecclesiastical Law

Lee Bolton Monier-Williams authors publication on Ecclesiastical Law

The 2020 revision of the Ecclesiastical Law volume of the Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents has now been published by LexisNexis both in print and for online subscribers. Authored by Ian Blaney of the firm's Ecclesiastical, Education and Charities Department, the volume is a practitioners' guide, containing a substantial commentary and well over a hundred precedents dealing with such wide-ranging matters as Church government, patronage and presentation, contracts of employment, and forms relating to the property of the Church of England and other Christian churches. In addition, there is a substantial section on burial grounds and testamentary gifts for religious purposes covering gifts to the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church and other denominations.

Ian Blaney comments "one might have thought that ecclesiastical law is a slow changing area of the law. In fact, it is one of the most fast moving sectors, due to the heavy legislative agenda of the Church of England's General Synod which is able to pass measures (once they have the approval of committee in Parliament and Royal Assent) that have the force of an Act of Parliament. Other Christian churches have also seen governance and other changes in recent years. I hope that the revised volume will be helpful for those working with all manner of parochial and diocesan work, as well as for those working with other Christian denominations who receive coverage in the publication."

Ian has also authored the companion volume in Burial Law and Cremation which is due out in 2021.