Tuesday to discuss the future of erstwhile MP the Rev. Trevor Woolridge.

Branch chairman Winters Burgess said: "I am not in a position to say anything because his conviction was only overturned last Thursday.

"The branch has not met yet. In fact we have not even had a chance to discuss it yet. It will be a little while.

"I can say that the branch will meet on Tuesday. Other than that I cannot comment until I have met with the branch.'' Mr. Woolridge was exonerated after Chief Justice Austin Ward upheld his appeal against a conviction for the sexual assault of a parishioner.

But the woman's lawyer Saul Froomkin has vowed to launch an appeal against the decision within 21 days.

If Mr. Froomkin follows through, then Mr. Woolridge's future is once again a matter of speculation because it is possible that the Court of Appeal could see things the prosecution's way. Or it may uphold the Chief Justice's ruling.

Nevertheless, it means that Mr. Woolridge's career as an MP -- independent or otherwise -- is anything but decided.

On Thursday, Mr. Justice Ward ruled that Magistrate Michael Smith's links to the United Bermuda Party created an appearance of bias and quashed the conviction.

It is believed that Mr. Woolridge will take action against the church for firing him.

Initially, AME Church head Bishop Rt. Rev. Phillip Cousin vowed to follow church law regarding Mr. Woolridge and then proceeded to fire the Minister without going through any of the procedures set out in the church rules.

And the manner in which the church leadership has handled Rev. Woolridge has upset some members of the Mount Zion AME church family.

Bishop Cousin, who arrived last month to attend the annual district conference, fired Mr. Woolridge from his post at Mount Zion after he was convicted.

Section 14 of the church rules deals with clergy sexual misconduct. For a first offence of sexual harassment, a member of the clergy will "immediately surrender his ministerial office, duties and responsibilities for a period of not less than six months, nor more than 24 months depending on the circumstances and the severity of the offence''.

Once a charge has been laid against a minister, the rules require the Presiding Elder to call the judicial committee of the annual conference and hear all the witnesses required to prove the charge.

The accused priest has the right to make a statement on his/her own behalf and to interrogate witnesses but the accused does not have a right to present any of his own witnesses.

After this investigation, the judicial committee will rule on the evidence and decide if a trial is justified. If one is required, it will be within 30 days of the ruling.

If convicted at that trial, the accused priest will be suspended from all official standing in the church until the next annual conference.

The Royal Gazette understands that none of this occurred in Mr. Woolridge's case.

Branch to meet Meanwhile, Mr. Woolridge who did not return a phone call from The Royal Gazette has said that he will seek redress for the way the church handled his case. The content of his action however, was unclear.

Currently, Mr. Woolridge, who was present in the House of Assembly for Friday's session, has quit the PLP and sits as an Independent. So far he has declined to say if he would attempt to rejoin the PLP.

Mr. Woolridge was convicted at Magistrates' Court last month of sexually assaulting the woman parishioner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at her home in September last year.

It was found that he had exposed his private parts in the living room and grabbed the woman after she asked him to leave. He was not sentenced pending an appeal.

PLP Leader Jennifer Smith and her party drew fire for her public support of Mr. Woolridge, with women's rights advocates calling for more consideration to be paid to his then-victim.

She was also forced into an embarrassing climb down after the threat of legal action from Mr. Froomkin for slanderous statements about him made at a press conference.

CHURCH CHU