# The Clergy Conduct Rules 2026, Rule 33: Response to a complaint of serious misconduct


(1) A response to the complaint must be provided by the person against whom it is made in the form set out in Form 4.
(2) The response must be provided to the Investigation and Tribunals Team before—
(a) the end of 14 days beginning with the day after the respondent received the complaint, or
(b) if the Investigation and Tribunals Team notifies the respondent of a different period for a response (whether longer or shorter than the 14-day period), the end of that different period.
(3) The response must—
(a) state whether or not the respondent admits, in whole or in part, the complaint,
(b) if no admission is made, include a response to the complaint, or
(c) if a partial admission is made—
(i) specify each part of the complaint that is not admitted, and
(ii) include a response to each of those parts.
(4) The response must be signed and dated by the respondent and must be verified by a statement of truth made by the respondent.
(5) If the respondent fails to provide a response in the period provided for by paragraph (2), the Investigation and Tribunals Team must proceed to deal with the complaint despite that failure.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/882/rule/33 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/clergy-conduct-rules-2026/rule-33
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.