Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC)
Description (according to the Book of Order and Standing Rules)
The Book of Order D-5.0000 specifies the requirement that presbyteries establish Permanent Judicial Commissions, the nature of their composition and the nature of their general operation. The Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) functions as the court of the Presbytery to determine certain “matters of controversy” (see G-1.0400) that arise within it. These matters are of two types: remedial or disciplinary.
In remedial cases, the issue is to correct “irregularities [or] delinquencies by governing bodies” (see D-2.0101a, D-2.0202 and D-6.0000). In disciplinary cases, a church officer (ministers of Word and Sacrament, elders, deacons) may be censured for an offense (see D-2.0101b, D-2.0203 and D-10.0000). In these latter cases, a church officer may be guilty of a serious enough offense that civil or criminal courts may be involved.
The PJC elects from its members a moderator and a clerk.
MEMBERSHIP: The Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) of the Presbytery of the Palisades is to consist of at least seven (7) and up to nine (9) members, clergy and elders in numbers as nearly equal as possible, who serve a term of six years (and are ineligible to be elected again to the PJC until four years have elapsed) in three classes (with no more than half the members in one class), all of whom retire in odd numbered years.
Currently, our presbytery’s PJC has seven (7) members, four in the Class of 2009, a clergyperson and three elders. The Class of 2011 has one member, a clergyperson, and the Class of 2013 has two members, both clergy. Since the PJC may have up to nine members, two additional persons could be elected—one of whom must be an elder, both of whom could be elders—preferably to the Class of 2011 or to the Classes of 2011 and 2013.
It is important that the PJC have the full complement of nine members since, at the time of a particular case, it may be difficult to empanel a sufficient number of PJC members to conduct business due to scheduling difficulties, illness, conflicts of interest, etc. The work of the PJC requires the concentrated time and attention of its members over several days (see “MEETINGS”).
MEETINGS: The PJC is likely to meet rarely. However, when it does meet to consider and act on a case, its members may meet for several hours daily for several consecutive days.
The Presbytery of the Palisade
http://www.palpres.org/staticpages/index.php/PJC_en