The Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 is an
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliame ...
of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
. It stipulates that whenever a vacancy arises among the
Lords Spiritual during the next ten years after the Act comes into force, the position has to be filled by a woman, if there is one who is eligible. In this case, the Act supersedes section 5 of the Bishoprics Act 1878, which would otherwise require "the issue of a writ of summons to that bishop of a see in England who having been longest bishop of a see in England has not previously become entitled to such writ". It does not apply to the five
sees of
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of t ...
,
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
Durham or
Winchester, which are always represented in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
.
The Act was passed half a year after the Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure 2014 authorised the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
to appoint women as bishops.
The Act in practice
The first female diocesan bishop, and thus the first female Lord Spiritual due to this Act, was
Rachel Treweek in 2015. Consecrated
Bishop of Gloucester on 22 July 2015 and enthroned on 19 September 2015, she joined the Lords on 7 September 2015 with the full title ''The Rt Rev. the Lord Bishop of Gloucester'', and was introduced to the House by the
Archbishop of Canterbury and the
Bishop of London
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
on 26 October 2015. She made her maiden speech on 7 March 2016.
Since then,
Christine Hardman
Christine Elizabeth Hardman ( Atkins; born 27 August 1951) is a retired British Anglican bishop and former Lord Spiritual. She served as Archdeacon of Lewisham, 2001–2008; Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich, 2008–2012; and Bishop of N ...
(2016),
Viv Faull
Vivienne Frances Faull (born 20 May 1955) is a British Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual. Since 2018, she has served as the Bishop of Bristol. In 1985, she was the first woman to be appointed chaplain to an Oxbridge college. She was later a ca ...
(2018),
Libby Lane (2019) and
Guli Francis-Dehqani (2021) have also entered the Lords due to this Act shortly after becoming diocesan bishops. Therefore 5 out of 14 vacant Lords positions occurring in the first 7 years of the Act (as of July 2022) have been filled by women. Without the Act, Treweek and Hardman would only have become Lords Spiritual in late 2021.
In addition (and independently of the Act),
Sarah Mullally entered the Lords ''ex officio'' when appointed
Bishop of London
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
in 2018.
See also
*
List of bishops in the Church of England, which lists the current Lords Spiritual and the seniority of service of the other diocesan bishops
*
Women in the House of Lords
References
2015 in Christianity
United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 2015
Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning the House of Lords
Reform in the United Kingdom
Women bishops
Women's rights in the United Kingdom
2015 in women's history
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