Decisions by the Judicial Court

The Judicial Court of the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference has made the following decisions.

On the request from rev Jørgen Thaarup for a declaratory decision on the legality of ¶ 405.3c in the 2016 Northern Europe and Eurasia Book of Discipline Supplement, which closes the nomination for bishop before the first ballot, the Judicial Court rules that ¶ 405.3c in the 2016 Northern Europe and Eurasia Book of Discipline Supplement is in violation of the principle of conducting episcopal elections under the same general procedures as in in the jurisdictional conferences and therefore the paragraph is null and void. Persons can be nominated for the episcopacy by ballot receiving ten votes or 5 percent of the valid votes cast.

The Judicial Court has become aware that all provisions for the Judicial Court of  the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference in the 2001 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church in Northern Europe ¶ 537.32 have been omitted in all subsequent editions of the book of discipline for the central conference. On its own initiative the court has carefully reviewed the minutes of the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference, previously the Northern Europe Central Conference and found no decision to delete or to amend ¶ 537.32. Thus, the omission of the paragraph appears to be a matter of oversight.

The Judicial Court rules that the provisions in ¶ 537.32 remain valid, and the paragraph must immediately and with the appropriate numbering be added to the 2016 Book of Discipline, Supplement for the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference.

The changes based on the Judicial Court decisions are made public in an addendum to the 2016 Book of Discipline, Supplement for the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference.

Link to addendum

Judicial Court decision no 2023 – 1

Judicial Court decision no 2023 - 2