Clergy who are guilty of serious misconduct may be stripped of their holy orders after the Church of England’s ruling body voted to reinstate “defrocking”.

All priests, from newly ordained curates to the archbishop of Canterbury, could be defrocked under new disciplinary measures backed by the General Synod, which is meeting in York.

The power to defrock clergy was abolished more than 20 years ago. At present, the harshest punishment available to church authorities is to impose a lifetime ban on a priest being able to officiate. But their status as a priest is retained and they are entitled to use the title of Reverend.

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The C of E is to re-introduce the “power for a bishop to depose a priest or deacon from holy orders following a finding of misconduct that does not involve a question of doctrine, ritual or ceremony”.

The effect of deposition from holy orders is that “the person must thereafter live their life as a layperson”, a background paper said.

A separate clause in the measure makes “equivalent provision for deposition from holy orders in respect of a bishop or archbishop”.