Explanation

Currently the Church Attorney has the ability to enter into an Accord, which could conclude a clergy discipline matter, without consultation from the Disciplinary Board. This gives the Church Attorney the power to effectively decide how the matter should end, without input from the Reference Panel or the Disciplinary Board. A matter before a Hearing Panel has been reviewed by the Reference Panel and the Disciplinary Board, yet one person can then choose what the outcome should be. This power should be checked. As the matter has already been referred to the Hearing Panel, it would make sense for the Hearing Panel to have the ability to approve the Accord, as a check on the power of the Church Attorney.