Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill 2024-25

The Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill 2024-25 was introduced in the House of Commons on 13 February 2025. All its Commons stages are due to take place on Tuesday 4 March 2025.

The text of the bill and its explanatory notes are provided at the bill pages on the UK Parliamentary website.

What would the bill do?

The bill makes provision for Roman Catholics to be eligible to hold the office of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which meets annually in Edinburgh each May.

What is the Lord High Commissioner?

The Lord High Commissioner is the King’s representative at the General Assembly. They attend as an observer and hosts social functions during what is known as “Assembly Week”.

The Monarch is not the head of the Church of Scotland (as they are Supreme Governor of the Church of England); instead, they are an ordinary member with a standing invitation to attend the General Assembly. The King does not usually attend, but instead sends the Lord High Commissioner to represent him.

The Lord High Commissioner is appointed under the royal prerogative by His Majesty on the advice of the Prime Minister, following consultation with the First Minister of Scotland.

Why is the bill being proposed?

Legislation is necessary because, at present, section 12 of the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 prohibits the office of Lord High Commissioner from being held by a Roman Catholic.

It was announced in December 2024 that Lady Elish Angiolini, who is a Catholic, was to be appointed as His Majesty’s Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2025.