139Accreditation of chaplains

139 Accreditation of chaplains

139 Accreditation of chaplains

(1) A minister of religion may not perform the functions of a chaplain in a detention centre unless the minister—

(a) is accredited by the Secretary under this clause, and

(b) is permitted by the appropriate authority for the religious organisation of which the minister is a member to work as a chaplain in the detention centre.

(2) The Secretary may, by instrument in writing, accredit a minister of religion who has been endorsed as suitable and competent by the Civil Chaplaincies Advisory Committee to work as a full-time, part-time or sessional chaplain to detainees at a detention centre.

(3) The Secretary must not accredit a minister of religion unless the minister has undergone a criminal record check and been found by the Secretary to be suitable to work as a chaplain in the centre.

(4) The Secretary may, at any time, by instrument in writing, revoke any such accreditation.

(5) The Secretary must give written notice of any revocation to the Civil Chaplaincies Advisory Committee.

(6) In this clause, Civil Chaplaincies Advisory Committee means the committee, made up of representatives from various religious organisations, that liaises between those religious organisations and government departments in matters of chaplaincy in correctional centres, detention centres and other public institutions.