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This article examines the Church of England's stewardship of its silver plate. It explains the way in which the use of chalices, patens and flagons changed over time and considers the legal basis on which church plate is held by churchwardens. It explains how, having initially discountenanced all sales of redundant church plate, consistory courts came to authorise sales to museums. It also explains how, following a series of judgments by George Newsom QC, acting first as Chancellor of both London and St Albans dioceses and later as Deputy Dean of the Court of Arches, sales on the open market were more frequently allowed and then how, following the judgment of the Court of Arches in re St Lawrence, Wootton, a more restrictive approach was re-imposed. It considers the practical and legal issues arising out of that judgment. Finally, it considers the role of the Court of Arches as a maker of policy.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The treasure of Nimrud survived 2,800 years buried near a dusty town in northern Iraq. It then spent 12 years tucked away in a vault. Until yesterday, it was uncertain whether it had survived Saddam Hussein's son, a U.S. missile strike, looters, a flood and a grenade attack. But it has been found intact in the dark, damp basement of a bombed out central bank building. Unearthed in 1988 by Iraqi archaeologists and never seen outside Iraq, the Nimrud treasure had been on public display at Baghdad's National Museum for just a few months before Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Days after the invasion, the treasure was yanked from public view. Its whereabouts remained secret. Even after it appeared that the treasure was safe, there was still a major obstacle to getting at it: The basement of the main central bank building was flooded. Two weeks ago, both men stared at the water down a dark stairwell and speculated about the treasure. Mr. [Jason Williams] asked for permission to buy pumps to begin draining the basement. Col. [Matthew Bogdanos] gave the green light, and soon two giant irrigation pumps were hard at work. With the vault still flooded, Mr. Williams bought two smaller pumps that could be lowered down the stairs as the water level dropped.