---
title: "Lord Chancellor (Tenure of Office and Discharge of Ecclesiastical Functions) Act 1974"
id: ecfe2a1e-5f68-4898-ab10-22fa255a5259
authority: uk
place: "United Kingdom"
applies_also_from: []
kind: statute
in_force: true
publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/25
attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/ecfe2a1e-5f68-4898-ab10-22fa255a5259
language: en
in_force_from: 1991-02-01
date_basis: publisher
status: consolidated
source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/25/data.xml
read_on: 2026-11-08
sha256: 162748dd97e2044ac41b8b337bf24772ad3f06e365a4ad1467575e03dfe078ed
provisions: 4
---

# Lord Chancellor (Tenure of Office and Discharge of Ecclesiastical Functions) Act 1974

## Title and introductory text {#prelims}

Lord Chancellor (Tenure of Office and Discharge of Ecclesiastical Functions) Act 1974
1974 c.25
An Act to declare the law relating to the tenure of the office of Lord Chancellor by Roman Catholics and to make provision for the exercise of ecclesiastical functions during any tenure of the office of Lord Chancellor by Roman Catholics.
[9th July 1974]

## 1 Declaratory provision as to office of Lord Chancellor. {#section-1}

For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that the office of Lord Chancellor is and shall be tenable by an adherent of the Roman Catholic faith.

## 2 Provision for alternative exercise of functions normally performed by Lord Chancellor. {#section-2}

In the event of the office of Lord Chancellor being held by an adherent of the Roman Catholic faith it shall be lawful for Her Majesty in Council to make provision for the exercise of any or all the visitational or the ecclesiastical functions normally performed by the Lord Chancellor, and any patronage to livings normally in the gift of the Lord Chancellor, to be performed by the Prime Minister or any other Minister of the Crown.

## 3 Short Title. {#section-3}

This Act may be cited as the Lord Chancellor (Tenure of Office and Discharge of Ecclesiastical Functions) Act 1974.