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Justice and Peace Commission Constitution 1. Definition of the Commission The Commission is a consultative and advisory body with such executive functions as specifically accorded to it by the Archdiocesan authority to which it is answerable. 2. Functions of the Commission The Commission exists to stimulate awareness of the need for justice and peace both at home and overseas, to assist in the work of reflection on those needs in the light of the Gospel and the Church's social teaching, and to foster and encourage action for international and local justice and peace in the parishes of the Archdiocese.
3.1 The president of the Commission shall be the Archbishop of Liverpool. The vice-president shall normally be the Episcopal Vicar for Missionary Activity. The Commission shall consist of a chairperson, a secretary and a minimum of fifteen members 3.2 The appointment of chairperson and secretary shall be made by the Archbishop, or exceptionally by the Vice President by special mandate from the Archbishop. At least two nominations shall be submitted to him for each position (All nominations for membership must be submitted to the Archbishop who will select new members from among such nominations.) The appointments shall be made before the AGM. 3.3 Nominations for membership should maintain an appropriate balance between clergy, religious and laity and reflect the composition of the Diocese geographically and in terms of gender and age. 3.4 Members shall serve for a period of three years and can be re-nominated for appointment for a further period of three years. 3.5 The chairperson shall hold office for a period of three years but shall be eligible for re-nomination for a further period subject to a maximum period of six years in total. 3.6 One third of the membership shall retire by rotation each year at the July meeting of the Commission. 3.7 As a professional officer of the Commission, the Fieldworker is not a member of the Commission but shall attend all meetings.
4.1 The Commission shall meet according to the programme agreed by members at the AGM. 4.2 The quorum for meetings will be at least one third' of the membership at any given time. 4.3 The Annual General Meeting shall take place in September each year. 4.4 Each year there shall be an Annual Assembly open to Commission member's, members of parish or deanery justice and peace groups, and invited guests.' 4.5 Copies of minutes of all meetings shall be sent to the Archbishop.
5.1 Management Committee consisting of the Vice-President the Chairperson and the Secretary shal1 meet with the Fieldworker on a regular basis to review the work of the Commission and draw up the agenda for Commission meetings. The Field worker, shall present a report to this body each month,' In turn the Vice-President will report at regular intervals to the Archbishop' s Council. 5.2 The Management Committee can act in an emergency on behalf of the full Commission and within its remit, and will report on any actions it may have taken at the next Commission meeting.
The Commission shall be responsible for the management and evaluation of an annual budget presented by the Archdiocesan Department of Finance and Development for the work of the Justice and Peace office.
The Commission will co-operate with other Departments and Commissions of the Archdiocese where appropriate. It shall also liase (though without formal attachment) with local and national bodies having similar aims and objectives to those of the Commission, including organisations of other Churches and other Faiths.
8.1 Working groups, set up to consider specific matters, shall consist of Commission members together with persons co-opted by the Commission from deaneries and parish groups. Such groups are to be set up with the approval of the Archbishop and with terms of reference agreed by the Commission to specialise in issues of justice and peace and social responsibility. 8.2 Meetings of working groups can only be called by the appointed Commission members who are required to report on progress to full Commission meetings. Action can be undertaken by working groups on behalf of the full Commission but only with its full knowledge and approval. All, working groups shall' automatically lapse at the end of the month of July. They may be reconvened in the light of the annual review of the Commission's priorities to be undertaken at the AGM
9.1 The Commission will produce an annual report. 9.2 At the AGM 'the Commission will recommend which issues shall be given priority for the coming year. The number and the nature of working groups involved will be determined accordingly. 9.3 The Commission must be mindful of its own limited resources in adopting further issues that might arise during the course of the year. 9.4 It is the responsibi1ity of the Commission to gather information on the issues it selects and to prepare a report together with any recommendations for presentation to the Archbishop. 9.5 Issues for consideration by the Commission will normally brought by parish groups, through members' own contacts, through the Fieldworker or through other Diocesan bodies. Some issues may best be handled by a local group with the Commission being kept informed of progress. 9.6 The Commission may also be requested to investigate a particular issue by the Archbishop. (cf. Article 8) 9.7 The Commission will require the authorisation of the Archbishop, or the Vice-President or the Archbishop's Council for any statement to be issued to the media, for formal correspondence with official bodies or Government officers, and for official representation at public demonstrations. 9.8 Individual Commission members, in expressing their views publicly on matters within the remit of the Commission, are to avoid giving the impression that their personal opinions necessarily reflect the judgement or views of the Commission. Official diocesan letterhead should not be used by Commission members for their own purposes.
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