Birketts LLP

Charities

Legal Director

Stuart joined Birketts in 2007. He is a Partner in both our Agriculture and Minerals and Waste teams, but his primary focus is now in serving the Church of England Dioceses of London and Norwich as their Diocesan Registrar. He works from the firm’s offices in London, Norwich and Cambridge.

Stuart’s specialist knowledge of minerals and waste work enables him to advise both landowners and operators on the development and management of mineral deposits. This expertise has been gained both through working for 17 years as an in-house Lawyer and subsequently a Regional Director with Tarmac and more recently for over 13 years in private practice. Stuart’s industry experience brings obvious benefits to the firm’s clients as he has direct knowledge of the minerals extraction process from start to finish.

In January 2009, Stuart was appointed the Diocesan Registrar and Bishop’s Legal Secretary for the Diocese of Norwich, and in September 2020 he became the Diocesan Registrar to the Diocese of London. In this capacity he serves over a thousand Church of England parishes in the two dioceses, advising on a range of ecclesiastical legal issues. These range from property matters, through safeguarding and disciplinary problems, issues relating to the management of parochial church councils, deanery and diocesan synods, and acting as the presiding officer for elections to the General Synod in the two dioceses. His work as Diocesan Registrar also covers the grant of faculties to enable works to be undertaken to churches, and the issue of marriage licences. Stuart is one of the country’s leading ecclesiastical Solicitors, and is a member of both the Ecclesiastical Law Association and the Ecclesiastical Law Society. He has worked with several Revision Committees on the development of draft legislation for the General Synod of the Church of England, and has advised Bishops and Cathedral Deans from other dioceses on safeguarding and disciplinary issues.

In January 2009, Stuart was appointed the Diocesan Registrar and Bishop's Legal Secretary for the Diocese of Norwich.

Stuart graduated from Cambridge University in 1980 before training and practising with a west country law firm. He spent 17 years with Tarmac Limited where he was based in the UK, the Middle East and Germany, but now lives with his family in Norfolk.