Overview

This bill aims to abolish the legal responsibility of lay rectors (individuals holding certain land rights connected to a church) for the cost of repairing church chancels (the area of a church around the altar). The bill sets out a process for phasing out this responsibility and addresses potential related legal issues.

Description

The Chancel Repairs Bill eliminates the liability of lay rectors for chancel repairs in England. Specifically:

• Abolition of Liability: After the bill becomes law, no lay rector will be liable for chancel repairs.
• Exception: This does not affect liabilities that exist due to the Tithe Act 1936.
• Transitional Provisions: The changes will not impact existing legal cases already underway or those initiated within two years of the bill passing, or cases where a lay rector is added to existing litigation within two years. New cases arising after the bill's enactment won't affect individuals who become lay rectors afterward.
• Geographic Scope: The bill applies only to England.
• Immediate Effect: The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to significantly affect government spending. The cost implications are related to potential legal challenges and associated administrative costs, but no figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

The groups most affected are:

• Lay rectors: They will be relieved of the financial burden of chancel repairs.
• Churches/Church authorities: They may need to find alternative funding for chancel repairs.
• Individuals involved in existing or future legal cases related to chancel repair liabilities: The transition provisions will determine the impact on their specific cases.

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