The provincial and diocesan registrar is part of the legal team of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and of the wider Province of Dublin.

Revd Marshall, who retired from practice as a solicitor specialising in commercial property and heritage cases a number of years ago, has served as deputy diocesan and provincial registrar since 2007.

An active historian, he is a former president of the Irish Legal History Society (ILHS) and is currently a member of the historical sciences committee of the Royal Irish Academy.

Archbishop Michael Jackson said: “The Revd Robert Marshall, as an ordained lawyer, is very well placed to be the Diocesan and Provincial Registrar in succession to the Very Revd Stephen Farrell who has moved from Zion to Kilkenny. Robert has an encyclopaedic knowledge of ecclesiastical legal history as readers of The Church Review are well aware.

“I should like to thank Stephen for everything he has done in this role and to welcome Robert as his successor.”

Revd Marshall said he looked forward to the “challenge of acting as registrar and particularly to working with the Archbishop on the institution of clergy to parishes, and the authorisation of changes to church buildings”.

Each diocese has its own tribunal to decide matters of controversy arising under the law of the Church of Ireland, other than doctrinal and ritual matters.

The Archbishop appoints the registrar of the courts who becomes responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the courts and the management of their papers.

Aside from contentious matters the court issues ‘faculties’ to authorise the making of changes to churches, a function for which the other ‘judges‘ are not required. The registrar also maintains the roll of the Archbishop recording the declarations required of clergy and laity before taking up formal offices within the church.

The registrar of Dublin and Glendalough is also registrar of the Province of Dublin and of the Court of the General Synod should it be convened.

Ciarán Toland SC succeeded Ms Justice Catherine McGuinness as chancellor of the United Dioceses in 2020.