Kirby, Torrance. “Lay Supremacy: Reform of the canon law of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I (1529-1571)”. Reformation & Renaissance Review: Jou

This article discusses the drastic change to canon law from 1529 to 1571 under the leadership of King Henry VIII Through to Queen Elizabeth I. The author details how Henry had made several attempts to make changes to canon law after his impulsive and monumental decision to separate England from the Catholic Church. After the separation, the Catholic Church made great efforts to find a way to resolve the differences between the parties involved, but not until Henry’s only son, Edward VI, was there finally appointed a Royal commission of 32 individuals under the rule of Thomas Cranmer who eventually made a proposal of new rules and regulations regarding the practice of worship. Even with this proposal, there would not be an agreement by the king, parliament, or the people to accept this new set of laws. The author questions in this article why it was not possible, even after so many years and efforts, for the tradition canon law to be reformed. The author has been employed at the McGill University, which is where she gained her authority on this subject matter.