Scotland’s first female bishop to face church disciplinary tribunal

Scotland’s first female bishop will face a disciplinary tribunal following allegations of bullying.

The Scottish Episcopal Church announced on Friday that the hearing would go ahead, and that three complaints against the Right Reverend Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, concerned behaviour that was “likely to bring the Church into disrepute”.

Bishop Dyer was suspended in August 2022.

The church’s Procurator, Paul Reid KC, has been considering a number of complaints lodged against the bishop, and made the decision for the tribunal to go ahead.

In a statement, the Scottish Episcopal Church said the complaints had been referred to its Procurator, following an investigation by its Preliminary Proceedings Committee (PPC).

It said: “Bishop Dyer has been formally notified of this decision.

“The other complaints will not be pursued further by the Procurator.”

The church said the tribunal hearing would be held in Edinburgh in September.

Bishop Dyer has one month to enter a plea in respect of the accusations.

Bishop Dyer previously said she was “sorry” for “some of the unease felt in the diocese”.

But alleged that since being appointed in 2018, she had faced “significant bullying and harassment on a number of fronts”, as well as “repeated attacks on social media”.