Statutes and Ordinances

The Statutes and Ordinances provide the constitutional framework that allows the University to govern its affairs. The Statutes contain the fundamental constitutional and governance provisions of the University and are subject to approval by Her Majesty in Council. Special Ordinances contain detailed provisions arising from the governance framework provided in the Statutes. Ordinances are detailed regulations and procedures covering all aspects of University business. Revised editions of the Statutes and Ordinances are published annually (usually in October) and previous editions, from 2008 to the present, are available below for reference.

Hardcopies of Statutes and Ordinances

The Reprographics Centre in the Old Schools have agreed to produce copies for the University at a cost of £21 for a two-volume set. Orders for hardcopies, clearly stating the contact name, department or College, number of copies and delivery address, should be emailed to reprographics.enquiries@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Statutes and Ordinances, 2023 edition

The links below are to the relevant section of the PDF of the 2023 edition, which incorporates changes approved from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023.

Statutes and Ordinances, 2023

COMPLETE VOLUME (pp. i–1140)	\|	8 MB file size

Contents and preliminaries	\|	including title page, imprints, historical note, seals, and preface - 273 KB file size
Index to the Statutes and Ordinances	\|	351 KB file size

Statutes

PDF files	S&O Page Nos	File size
Statute A: The Chancellor and the Government of the University	3–13	113 KB
Statute B: Membership of the University and Degrees	14–15	166 KB
Statute C: University Offices and Employment in the University	16–22	189 KB
Schedule to Statute C: Academic Staff	23–28	188 KB
Statute D: Discipline, the University Courts, and Disciplinary Panels	29–31	56 KB
Statute E: Trusts	32–46	126 KB
Statute F: Finance, Audit, Planning and Resource Allocation, Property and Buildings	47–48	47 KB
Statute G: Colleges and Collegiate Foundations	49–54	68 KB
Statute J: Press and Assessment	55–56	49 KB
Passages from Acts of Parliament relating to the University of Cambridge, Procedure for making a Statute for a College, Rules of Procedure made by the Commissary under Statute A IX 7	57–64	208 KB

Special Ordinances

PDF files	S&O Page Nos	File size
Special Ordinances under Statute A: The Chancellor and the Government of the University	67–74	255 KB
Special Ordinances under Statute B: Membership of the University and Degrees	74	185 KB
Special Ordinances under Statute C: University Offices and Employment in the University	75–99	262 KB
Special Ordinances under Statute D: Discipline and the University Courts	100–104	226 KB
Special Ordinances under Statute F: Finance, Audit, Planning and Resource Management, and Buildings	104–105	179 KB
Special Ordinances under Statute G: Colleges and Collegiate Foundations	105	179 KB

Ordinances

PDF files	S&O Page Nos	File size
Chapter I: The Chancellor and the Government of the University	109–169	3.18 MB
Chapter II: Matriculation, Residence, Admission to Degrees, Discipline, Conduct, Complaints	170–248	728 KB
Chapter III: Examinations	249–262	260 KB
Chapter IV: Preliminary Examinations and Tripos Examinations	263–437	1.30 MB
Chapter V: B.A. Degree and M.A. Degree	438–439	179 KB
Chapter VI: Graduate Students [rescinded]	440	153 KB
Chapter VII: Degrees, Diplomas, and Other Qualifications	441–598	1.17 MB
Chapter VIII: Schools and Councils of the Schools	599–603	195 KB
Chapter IX: Faculties, Departments, and Other Institutions under the Supervision of the General Board	604–671	607 KB
Chapter X: Institutions under the Supervision of the Council	672–673	182 KB
Chapter XI: University Offices and Grants of Title	674–766	684 KB
Chapter XII: Trusts	767–1047	1.64 MB
Chapter XIII: Finance and Property	1048–1084	406 KB
Chapter XIV: Colleges	1085–1112	279 KB
Chapter XV: Institutions Recognized under Statute G I	1113	144 KB
Appendix I: Procedures and Guidelines	1114–1117	190 KB

Previous editions of the Statutes and Ordinances

Year: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Nov 2020 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022

The online editions of the Statutes and Ordinances from previous years are available above. These editions were published in October of the relevant year and DO NOT incorporate any amendments made during the subsequent academic year. The November 2020 edition incorporates amendments from 1 October 2019 to 16 April 2020; the 2020 edition incorporates all amendments approved during the 2019–20 academic year; these two editions, where production was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, are only available in pdf format.

In February 2014, the previous Statutes were repealed and new Statutes and Special Ordinances came into force. For ease of reference, a spreadsheet has been created to help with cross-referencing between the previous Statutes and the current Statutes and Special Ordinances: pdf version Excel spreadsheet. Appendix II of the Report of the Council on the Technical Review of the Statutes of 28 June 2012, which contains colour-coded cross-references and explanation, may also prove useful.