States to have review of non-elected Members’ roles

Thursday 5th February 2009, 2:59PM GMT.

THE Bailiff, Attorney General and Solicitor General could lose their seats in the States under a new review.

The States have agreed to commission an independent inquiry into the roles of the Crown Officers in the States Chamber – but they decided to specifically exempt the roles of the Dean and Lieutenant-Governor. Deputy Bob Hill, who brought the proposal to the House, said that the result was a good one.

‘I’m obviously pleased, but I’m disappointed that the proposition did not go through whole,’ he said. ‘This was round one. Round two will be the important one when they come back with terms of reference, the makeup of the panel and the cost.

‘There is no reason why we cannot have people inside the Island doing it. Certainly I do not think that we need someone from outside the Island – we need a “Clothier-style” review, but we do not need a “Clothier-style” panel.’

• Picture: Deputy Bob Hill

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1
joker

February 5, 2009 at 4:58 pm

Personally I’d rather the States have access to legal advice rather than religious advice. Why keep the Dean? I guess keeping the Governor is to keep the Queen sweet.

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2
Richard

February 5, 2009 at 5:25 pm

I wish Bob Hill would find something useful to channel his energy into. First it was the Honorary police, now the Bailiff. If he dislikes our way of life and traditions so much why does he stay?

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3
FUBAR

February 5, 2009 at 5:46 pm

Why don’t we get rid of all the states members. We could offer their jobs to cheap foreign labour imports.

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4
Islander

February 5, 2009 at 6:34 pm

There are probably good reasons for some of those posts existing, especially the legal ones.

The one that should go is the Dean as he has no place outside his own church.

Jersey is supposed to be a democracy and not a theocracy.

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5
The Optimist

February 5, 2009 at 6:46 pm

Fubar
You have a way with words. Hope you have a great year.

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6
Mark’s perspective

February 6, 2009 at 12:43 pm

Richard:- tradition is fine but we have to move with the times. Government can seek legal advice from outside of government without the legal advice being government. If our States are fit and proper, there is no reason why States members cannot elect their own speaker.

Do we need the Dean in the Chamber; no we are a secular society of many faiths only some of whom at from the Church of England.

Do we need the Governor, no, but he should be free to sit in the States Camber if he so wishes, if only to assure Her Majesty that we islands are not plotting sedition.

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7
david brown

February 6, 2009 at 1:04 pm

a independent reveiw? from inside the island?
i do not belive it.
and the point of the clothier report was????
clothier has been around and talked about for so long now, i would say most of the public have forgotten all about it.
and again the reforms stalled/shelved.
we need our historical links to the crown, in order to opperate as we do.
unless i am wrong here , if so will someone correct me please.

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8
ZBD

February 6, 2009 at 1:21 pm

In answer to Richard, Bob Hill is a Jerseyman so why shouldn’t he stay? Things can not just stand still and didn’t the two Le Quesne enquiries make similar recommendations to the things now raised by Deputy Hill? The Honorary Police, an unpaid, unprofessional organisation have primacy over the professional States of Jersey Police – Do we have unpaid, unprofessional lawyers? No. Do we have unpaid unprofessional medical staff? No. Do we have unpaid unprofessional politicians…..Don’t answer that. Bob Hill is right to question the status quo.

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