The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chester was constituted the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Chester on 4 August 1541, and Statutes of the Cathedral were published on 4 June 1544.
A new Constitution and revised Statutes came into effect in 1935 and were subsequently amended in 1967, 2000 and 2016.
The Cathedrals Measure 1999 and the Care of Cathedrals Measure 2011 are the two principal pieces of legislation which govern cathedrals. A new measure, the Cathedrals Measure 2021 received Royal Assent. Over a period of a few years from 2021, cathedrals will register as charities with the Charity Commission and will then be governed by the new Measure.
Chester Cathedral adopted its new Constitution and Statutes on Wednesday 1 February 2023.
Download the new Constitution document here.
Download the new Statutes document here.