On 6th January 2026, the House of Lords debated the Sentencing Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the Bill, in which Bishops took part:
Division 2:
The Bishop of Chester and the Bishop of Gloucester took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Lord Keen of Elie:
Lord Keen of Elie moved amendment 25, in clause 1, page 3, line 10, at end to insert—
“(i) the offender has been convicted of a sexual offence, within the meaning of section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, or
(j) the offender has been convicted of an offence which constitutes domestic abuse within the meaning of section 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.”
The amendment was disagreed. Content: 180 / Not Content: 219
The Bishop of Chester and the Bishop of Gloucester voted Not Content.
Division 3:
The Bishop of Chester took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Lord Keen of Elie, to insert the new clause Court transcripts of sentencing remarks into the bill.
The amendment was agreed. Content: 204 / Not Content: 136
The Bishop of Chester voted Not Content.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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