Chapter Six - General Rules for Church Courts

Any court may apply to its immediate higher court for assessors to be appointed to sit with it to assist with any particular matter. Further, any court may decide to appoint assessors to sit with a lower court to give appropriate assistance even if no request for assessors has been made.

An assessor, during his period of duty, enjoys the full rights, powers, and privileges of membership in the court to which he is appointed, except when otherwise expressly stated in the law of the church or by the court appointing him. If the court to which he is an assessor is at the bar of a higher court he is likewise at the bar.

When the task is completed, it is the duty of assessors appointed for this particular task to inform the appointing court, which immediately discharges them. (see rules 3:67; 4:75(c); 4:110)

Unless the law of the church states otherwise, a court decides whether or not a party may appear with the assistance of counsel or agent in any particular process before it; it may allow the appearance of counsel or agent only if he is a communicant member of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria.

A court may from time to time appoint commissions from among its own members to discharge particular business and grant to these commissions such of its own powers as are necessary to discharge the duties indicated, (see rule 4:12 for matters in which a Presbytery cannot act through a commission).

A court may also appoint any necessary committees, consisting of persons within its jurisdiction, and may remit to these committees such duties as it sees fit.

Commissions and committees of lower courts report on their proceedings to the court which appointed them; those (including boards and councils) appointed by a General Assembly report to the next General Assembly unless otherwise directed.

A commission appointed by a court may not itself appoint a commission, but it may appoint a committee or committees to perform specified duties, unless not permitted in its terms of appointment. A commission is responsible for, and may set aside or vary, the actions of any committee it has appointed.

Every court has power to appoint visitors to inquire into and report upon any matter within its jurisdiction.