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 His 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 £28 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, 2025 edition

The links below are to the relevant section of the PDF of the 2025 edition, which incorporates changes approved from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.

Statutes and Ordinances, 2025

COMPLETE VOLUME (pp. i–1147)	\|	5.91 MB file size

Contents and preliminaries	\|	including title page, imprints, historical note, seals, and preface
Index to the Statutes and Ordinances

Statutes

PDF files	S&O Page Nos
Statute A: The Chancellor and the Government of the University	3–13
Statute B: Membership of the University and Degrees	14–15
Statute C: University Offices and Employment in the University	16–22
Schedule to Statute C: Academic Staff	23–28
Statute D: Discipline, the University Courts, and Disciplinary Panels	29–31
Statute E: Trusts	32–46
Statute F: Finance, Audit, Planning and Resource Management, and Buildings	47
Statute G: Colleges and Collegiate Foundations	48–53
Statute J: Press and Assessment	54–55
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	56–63

Special Ordinances

PDF files	S&O Page Nos
Special Ordinances under Statute A: The Chancellor and the Government of the University	67–74
Special Ordinances under Statute B: Membership of the University and Degrees	74
Special Ordinances under Statute C: University Offices and Employment in the University	75–100
Special Ordinances under Statute D: Discipline, the University Courts and Disciplinary Panels	101–106
Special Ordinances under Statute F: Finance, Audit, Planning and Resource Management, and Buildings	107
Special Ordinances under Statute G: Colleges and Collegiate Foundations	107

Ordinances

PDF files	S&O Page Nos
Chapter I: The Chancellor and the Government of the University	111–160
Chapter II: Matriculation, Residence, Admission to Degrees, Discipline, Conduct, Complaints	161–253
Chapter III: Examinations	254–266
Chapter IV: Preliminary Examinations and Tripos Examinations	267–414
Chapter V: B.A. Degree and M.A. Degree	415–416
Chapter VI: Graduate Students [rescinded]	417
Chapter VII: Degrees, Diplomas, and Other Qualifications	418–571
Chapter VIII: Schools and Councils of the Schools	591–595
Chapter IX: Faculties, Departments, and Other Institutions under the Supervision of the General Board	598–666
Chapter X: Institutions under the Supervision of the Council	667–668
Chapter XI: University Offices and Grants of Title	669–762
Chapter XII: Trusts	763–1053
Chapter XIII: Finance and Property	1054–1090
Chapter XIV: Colleges	1091–1118
Chapter XV: Institutions Recognized under Statute G I	1119
Appendix I: Procedures and Guidelines	1120–1123

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 | 2023 | 2024

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.