Language and Anglican Canon Law – Dabbling Briefly into Another Legal World

Abstract

Canon law is a body of rules that govern churches. It has a venerable history and has at times marched in step with the common law. It has a specialised vocabulary – even the word canon – much of which is derived from Greek. It also has sophisticated legislative systems, which vary from denomination to denomination and from place to place. In the case of the Anglican Church of New Zealand, the system is in part based on the Westminster model but has been modified when thought appropriate, with the result that the language used is partly familiar to the average lawyer but partly not. The exact legal nature of canon law is uncertain and may depend in part on whether the church is the established religion or not. In New Zealand where there is no establishment, a comparison could be made, inter alia, with customary law.