Thinking Anglicans

Next stage of Makin Review CDMs announced

The Church of England issued the following press release this morning.

Next stage of Makin Review CDMs announced
05/06/2025

Following the conclusion of the work to review all clergy under the authority or oversight of the Church of England who are criticised in the Makin review, it was announced in February that the National Safeguarding Team (NST) would seek to bring disciplinary proceedings under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) against 10 clergy including two bishops. In all cases, the complaint was ‘out of time’ and so the permission of the President of the Tribunals needed to be sought to initiate proceedings. The President has now considered the applications and granted permission in seven of the 10 cases. This is an independent judicial process, and the National Safeguarding Team entirely respect the decisions.

The NST will now initiate proceedings under the CDM against the following individuals:

  • Bishop Paul Butler
  • Revd Roger Combes
  • Revd Sue Colman
  • Revd Andrew Cornes
  • Revd Tim Hastie-Smith
  • Revd Nick Stott
  • Revd John Woolmer

No further action under the CDM will be taken against the following individuals:

  • Bishop George Carey
  • Revd Paul Perkin
  • Revd Hugh Palmer

The decision to bring CDMs was undertaken in line with the process announced in December and concluded in February with recommendations of an independent panel and reviewed by an independent barrister.

Victims and survivors and all those criticised in the Makin review have been informed and support offered. The National Safeguarding Team will make no further comment on these cases whilst the CDM proceedings are under way.

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Graham Jones
Graham Jones
1 day ago

I am the victim of John Smyth who came forward in 2012. We now know from the Makin report and Cape Town review that three ArchBishops and eleven Bishops knew about the abuse by John Smyth by August 2013 Yet, the majority do not appear on this list. The Makin Review was tasked with investigating the response of the CofE to the disclosure, yet, patently not enough was done to find Smyth, stop him and bring him to justice. This was the greatest failure, yet the majority remain untouched. Jo Bailey Wells was forced to “step back”, yet is not… Read more »

Nigel Goodwin
Nigel Goodwin
Reply to  Graham Jones
3 hours ago

I sympathise. One of the problems is that many may have ‘known’ in 2013, but the extent of their knowledge is less clear. Anybody who read the Ruston report and did nothing deserves exposing. For others, they may have been unaware of the extent and brutality of the abuse.

So when you say ‘they were told’ we maybe need to clarify?

Of course, lack of curiosity is an issue.

Joe Egerton
Joe Egerton
Reply to  Graham Jones
2 hours ago

The secrecy of these proceedings is hugely unfair both to victims and to those whose names have been mentioned. Proceedings in the Crown Court have to be open unless there is some good reason for them being in private and then restrictions must be no more than essential – for instance when a witness in a case of sexual assault has to be protected (over and above the lifelong anonymity of victims) then victims and a representative of the media will still be permitted to be in the court – although the witness may be shielded from view they will… Read more »

Simon Sarmiento
Reply to  Joe Egerton
1 hour ago
Sam Jones
Sam Jones
1 hour ago

Most of the clergy here are retired – does the CDM still apply to them? And what sanctions can be applied to a retired priest with no PTO?

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