Reporter 23/7/03: First Report of the Council on membership of the Regent House: Notice

First Report of the Council on membership of the Regent House: Notice

21 July 2003

The Council submitted a first Report dated 12 May 2003 (Reporter, p. 921) proposing draft regulations to extend membership of the Regent House when the new Statute (A, III, 7(e)) (made by Grace 1 of 20 November 2002 and amended by Grace 5 of 26 February 2003) is approved by Her Majesty in Council.

The Council indicated their intention to report with substantive proposals, in the light of the discussion of their first Report. However, the Discussion on 27 May 2003 (p. 995) was largely negative and several of the opinions expressed suggested that the Council should consider adopting a narrower definition of persons who might become eligible under the new Statute than was originally proposed. Whether to adopt this approach requires consideration and consultation, which the Council have initiated. The Council will then report further substantive proposals to implement the provisions of the new Statute when approved.

In the meantime, however, it is necessary to preserve some existing entitlement to membership of the Regent House which would otherwise be repealed when the new Statute comes into force. The Council are now, therefore, proposing a Grace to continue for the time being some existing definitions for membership of the Regent House. The draft regulation as set out takes the form of the current footnote to Statute A, III, 7(e) which lists appointments approved for the purpose of this Statute, with the following modifications:

in category (i) the removal of Research Professor and unestablished Reader as these unestablished posts no longer exist;

in category (ii) the inclusion of the office of full-time College Lecturer and the removal of specific reference to Homerton College which is no longer necessary;

in category (v) an updating of the list of qualifying appointments on the staff of the Local Examinations Syndicate.

These modifications were included in the draft regulation appended to the Report dated 12 May 2003 and no opposition was expressed to them in the Discussion on 27 May 2003.

The Council have noted the remarks of Professor A. W. F. Edwards, who suggested that a member of the Regent House should be enabled to resign membership. The mechanism for resignation of membership of the Regent House is resignation from whatever qualifying status (such as Fellowship of a College) was relevant. The Council do not, therefore, propose to introduce specific provision for resignation.

The Council are therefore proposing a Grace (Grace 4, p. 1219) to make interim provision for membership of the Regent House.

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