ARTICLE I
NAME AND NATURE


Section 1. - The name of this association shall henceforth be the Cannon Law Society of the Philippines (CLSP).

Section 2. - The CLSP is a non-stock and non-profit, national, public juridical person in the Church, established with the approval of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.

ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVES


This Association has the following purposes, to wit:

Section 1. - To render pastoral service to the Christian Faithful through Canon Law.

Section 2. - To promote the on-going study of, and research in canonical science and allied sciences towards fostering the knowledge and practice of Canon Law.

Section 3. - To facilitate the interchange of canonical findings and opinions, observations and proposals among the members and with the other Canon Law Societies.

ARTICLE III
OFFICE AND MEETING


Section 1.- The office of the CLSP shall be at the Metropolitan Tribunal of Manila, 121 Arzobispo St. Intramuros, Manila.

Section 2.- The regular General Meeting of all the members shall be once every year. Special General Meeting may be called anytime by the President with the concurrence of the Board of Directors for any urgent reason.

Section 3.- The regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be once a year. Special meeting thereof may be called anytime by the Chairman for any urgent reason in this judgment.

Section 4.- The regular meeting of the Executive Council shall be twice a year. Special meeting thereof may be called anytime by the President for any reason in his judgment.

Section 5.- The regular meeting of the Standing Committees shall be twice a year. Special meeting thereof may be called anytime by the President for any urgent reason in his judgment.

Section 6.- All regular meeting of the general membership, the Board of Directors, the Executive Council and the Standing Committees shall be held preferably in the month of January of the year concerned, on the dates and places determined by the competent authorities, taking into account the administrative interrelationship among these entities.

ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP


Section 1.- Membership in the CLSP shall either be Principal, Associate or Honorary as determined and approved by the Committee on Membership:
  1. Principal Members: Those who have Doctorate or Licentiate in Canon Law.
  2. Associate Members: Those who have Baccalaureate or practical expertise in Canon Law.
  3. Honorary Members: Those who have outstanding interest in the advancement of canonical learning and practice.


ARTICLE V
RIGHTS, DUTIES AND BENEFITS


Section 1.- Only the Principal and Associate members have the same deliberate voting rights in any and in all matters submitted for decision in the General Meetings.

Section 2.- All the members have the same dues, fees and/or subscriptions for any and all purposes and/or occasions.

Section 3.- All the members have the same beneficial access to any and to all the services of the society particularly in matters of communications and publications.

Section 4.- Only the principal members may be elected as Officers and as Board Members of the Society.

Section 5.- Only the Principal and Associate members may be elected as Chairpersons of the Standing Committees.

ARTICLE VI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Section 1.- This is composed of five members elected one by one through a simple majority of all the members present and voting during a regular General Meeting, for a term of four (4) years.

Section 2.- It has a Chairman and a Recorder who are designated by the Board members through a consensus process, who may be changed anytime by the same through the said process for whatever reasonable cause according to its discretion, and who, in this case, however, would retain their term as Board members.

Section 3.- It sets policy decision for the Society based on the provision of these Statutes and the deliberations of the general membership.

Section 4.- Only one re-election for the Board members - good for two (2) years - is allowed after which a new election is made in a staggered way.

Section 5.- Vacancy in the Board occurs upon death, resignation, incapacity, absence of two consecutive years and cessation from office. The said Vacancy shall be filled by way of a new election in the next general assembly. The newly elected members shall only serve for the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VII
OFFICERS


Section 1.- President:

  1. He is elected through an absolute majority by all the members present and voting during a regular General meeting for a term of two (2) years limited to only one subsequent re-election. After a break of one (1) Presidential term, he is eligible again for election into the same office.
  2. He acts as the principal executive in the Society and presides over all the regular and/or special meeting of the general membership and of the Executive Council.
  3. He supervises the business and affairs of the society and performs all his duties inherent in his office and exercises all the rights generally attributed to the office of the President.
  4. He acts as liaison officer of the Society vis-à-vis the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and all Canon Law Societies in the world.
Section 2.- Vice-Presidents:

  1. They are elected through a simple majority by all the members residing in their respective Regions present and voting during a regular General Meeting, one from Luzon, another from the Visayas and the third from Mindanao, for a term of two (2) years, open to any number of consecutive re-election into the same Office.
  2. The three elected Vice-Presidents shall likewise be subjected to a new election by all the members of the general assembly as to who will become the 1st Vice-President, since this will determine who will succeed the president in the event of the latter's resignation, incapacity, etc... for the rest of his term, following the orders as specified.
  3. The Vice-President shall act as auxiliary executives in the Society, attending to the concerns of their respective constituencies, performing all their duties and exercising all their rights generally attributed to the Office of the Vice-Presidents.
Section 3.- Treasurer:

  1. He is elected through a simple majority by all the members present and voting during a regular General Meeting for a term of two (2) years, open to any number of consecutive re-elections into the same Office.
  2. He acts as the financial administrator of the assets of the Society in cash and in kind under the supervision and direction of the President.
  3. He performs the duties and exercises the rights generally attributed to the Office of the Treasurer.
Section 4.- Secretary:

  1. He is elected through a simple majority by all the members present and voting during a regular General Meeting for a term of two (2) years, open to any number of consecutive re-elections into the same office.
  2. He acts as the recorder of all the deliberations of the Executive Council and of the General Meeting, as the custodian of all their instruments of the Society, and as the Press Officers thereof.
  3. He performs the duties and exercises the rights generally attributed to the Office of the Secretary.
ARTICLE VIII
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL


Section 1.- This is an ex-officio group composed of the President the Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer and the Secretary of the Society acting as a decisive corporate entity through the consensus process.

Section 2.- It conducts the business and affairs of the Society and acts in its name between the regular and /or special General Meetings.

Section 3. - It attends to the general implementation and/or observance of the options of the general membership and the policy decisions of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IX
COMMITTEES


Section 1. - Standing Committees:

The society has the following three Standing Committees each headed by a Chairperson who is elected through a simple majority by all the members present and voting during a regular General Meeting for a term of two (2) years, and who in turn appoints two (2) members at least without term from the general membership.

a) Committee on Membership:

In coordination and collaboration with the Executive Council, it receives and screens applications for membership into the Society, determines and approves actual membership therein, evaluates and decides on its effective termination for cause, open to appeal and review by the Board of Directors.

b) Committee on Development:

In coordination and collaboration with the Executive Council, it attends to and promotes canonical studies and allied sciences, searches and publications - in particular, the official publication of the Society - prepares and programs canonical projects, conference and exchanges.

c) Committee on Ways and Means:

In coordination and collaboration with the Executive Council, it studies and determines dues/fees/subscriptions, conceives and pursues modes of raising funds for the needs of the Society.

Section 2. - Ad Hoc Committees:

The Society may have as many Ad Hoc Committees as may be considered necessary or convenient by the President who, with the concurrence of the Vice-Presidents, may establish them for a determined period, and appoint their Heads and Members from among and/or even outside of the general membership.

ARTICLE X
SPECIAL PROVISIONS


Section 1. - Fiscal Year:

In the Society, the Fiscal Year begins from 1 February and ends on 31 January the following year.

Section 2. - Functions:

No one and the same member may have two (2) elective official positions in the Society.

Section 3. - Fundings:

Any and all financing by the Society in part or in full that may be determined by the Board of Directors is applicable and strictly and exclusively to the official and direct expenses specifically in favor of the Society, incurred by any officer and/or member thereof in the performance of duties and/or tasks for the Society, personal time, talent and labor spent, shared and done respectively for the Society are considered in principle as voluntary donations thereto.

Section 4. - Commitment:

Personal commitment to, and interest in, the welfare and development of the general membership of the Society are the moral premises for the fruition of the benefits from and the exercise of rights in the Society. Said lack in a member is an indirect statement of the option to be separated therefrom. Two (2) consecutive non-attendance in the general membership meetings by any member and non-payment of his dues in the Society shall be considered lack of personal commitment to the Society.

Section 5. - Book of Ordinances:

These norms shall be rendered more definite and defined by the Book of Ordinances of the Society that will contain more specific and concrete norms and observances, and that will be gradually composed in the course of the life and experience of the Society.

Section 6. - Competence of the CBCP:

The CBCP, which has the authority to give the decree to erect the CLSP, has also the competence to approve these norms and any revision or modification thereof.

Section 7. - All these norms shall be subject to the general law of the Church.

ARTICLE XI
QUORUM


Section 1. - Quorum for a meeting is constituted by fifty percent (50%) + one (1) of all registered members with deliberative votes. This includes proxy votes, on the understanding however that a member is entitled to be proxy for only one vote.

ARTICLE XII
AMENDMENTS


Section 1. - These norms may be amended by a two-third majority of the members present and voting during a regular General Meeting.

ARTICLE XIII
EFFECTIVITY


Section 1. - These norms shall be effective for a period of four (4) years from the moment of its approval by two-third majority of the members present and voting during the first regular General Meeting. During the first four (4) years of its effectivity, no amendments thereof shall be made.



Ed by the General Assembly
April 17, 1993





 
 



© 2005 Canon Law Society of the Philippines

 
 


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