This article first appeared in the Trusts and Estates Law & Tax Journal issue 179 | www.lawjournals.co.uk.

Few practitioners have experience of the consistory court, an ecclesiastical court, which can trace its origins to the 11th century and the arrival of William I in England. While many functions of the ecclesiastical courts, such as probate and divorce, have moved to the civil courts, the consistory court retains jurisdiction in matters relating to church buildings and to consecrated land.

Liz Braude gives the lowdown on the jurisdiction of the consistory courts, with reference to recent cases.