Abuse inquiry bid reaches High Court
Monday 16th March 2009, 2:59PM GMT.
FORMER Health Minister Stuart Syvret this week begins his bid to prove that Justice Secretary Jack Straw, pictured, has a duty to intervene in the administration of justice in the Island.
He and UK MP John Hemming will be appearing in the Royal Courts of Justice in the High Court at a permissions hearing to apply to seek a judicial review of Mr Straw’s decision not to intervene in Jersey’s child abuse inquiry by appointing UK prosecutors and judges.
They are making this move tomorrow in the name of Justice For Families Ltd, of which Mr Hemming is the chairman and Senator Syvret is a director. Senator Syvret said that they would be asking the lawyers representing the UK Government to concede that the Justice Secretary did have constitutional powers to ensure good governance and the proper administration of justice in the Crown dependencies.
‘We are also aiming to show the court that there has been a breakdown in good governance and the administration of justice to a sufficient degree in Jersey that it merits such an intervention,’ he said.
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All we want is the truth.
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So Stuart Syvret and Lenny Harper are demanding independent justice? Is this because the pieces of coconut shell could still be human? Or are the bed springs really restraints? I hope when they look at the ridiculous evidence Lenny Harper was presenting to us last year they will realise that the Island’s judicial system and Police are more than qualified to deal with this.
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Good luck Stuart Syvret. May you achieve all you set out to do.
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1 easy way to improve the governance of this island. get rid of Senator Syvret.
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Lol. You would have thought that after the Press conference by the police last November that these people would be keeping a low profile!
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Denise are you per chance a copper???
I suggest you nad Paul wait until the new evidence is out in the open before such comments. I for one am keeping an open mind on the subject. Anything less than that would be an injustice to the victims if the case is eventually proved.
I may not always agree with Syvret’s methods but at the end of the day I applaud his determination to air the issues in a fair and open way. This is all anybody coudl ever want.
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I cannot agree with you Chris. Lenny Harper’s evidence was actually humiliated and trashed with a thud. If you still want to believe this nonsence that’s your call but for me, he is no longer worthy of giving a credible opinion of HdlG and that also goes for the Senator.
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‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’
Lets hope that a judicial review is permitted so that the truth will out and a fair and transparent system may follow.
It can only benefit the majority of islanders.
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Sara, did you read the Guardian article on Saturday?
I suggest you do and perhaps this may open you eyes and mind about the whole HDLG and child protection issue.
Its not just about Stuart Syvret and Lenny Harper there are greater matters to consider than that of two personalities.
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What a waste of time this is. As if the UK Government is going to start telling Jersey how to run its judicial system and what precedent would this set if successful? I am totally bored to tears about hearing this story now. We have proper problems at the moment AKA recession. When is Stuart Syvret to his followers going to actually do something constructive for the people for a change? This case should be left with the Police and people should stop meddling with it.
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All these commentators who hold up reports in the media as The Truth!
Are these not the same media channels who managed to turn a piece of coconut shell into 6 children’s bodies? Who managed to turn Lenny Harper and Stuart Syvret’s bile-laden rants into a major witch hunt?
None of them sought the truth, preferring, as do many observers, to believe lurid tripe repeated and expanded ad nauseum.
We may get to hear the truth one day, but this legal challenge is NOT about the truth, it is about Syvret and Harper settling some old scores. Even Syvret’s blog is not clear on WHY he taking this action; for which cause he is fighting. Is it child abuse or is it tax havens, is it the church, is it the incinerator, the economy, hospital mal-administration?
From his own blog – “Child abuse; corporate manslaughter; corruption; failed justice; ludicrous conflicts of interest across the board – all will finally be challenged and changed if we win in court in London.”
So why is this being done “in the name of victims”? Media coverage?
One other question, why is Justice For Families Ltd as limited liability company? Can someone explain why, and what type of limited company it is?
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All I think is important here is that natural justice is given to the victims of child abuse within Jersey’s child care system.
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Good luck to them. They won’t get anywhere and as Denise says, any sensible minded person will look at Harper’s evidence of a year ago and see it for what it is. Sensational rubbish by a retiring police officer.
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Good luck to Syvret – and shame on the Syvret haters who want to live in their little caccon where everything bad is swept under the carpet especially sex abuse and paedophilia – believe me it is there, it is being covered up by the old boys club and has been for years and Syvret knows it and wants to expose it. Don’t you all remember the Victoria College fiasco!?
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Nobody hates Syvret, they are just sick of him and a few do-gooders who are trying to do the job of the States of Jersey Police all the time.
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Matt – they wouldn’t have to if the States of Jersey Police did their jobs properly!
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I echo No. 9 (Gross Misconduct) and think all you naysayers should read the Guardian article titled, “Home to something evil: Jersey care scandal”. The abuse investigations was waylaid by the murder enquiries and so many people seem to have forgot that this all happened because of allegations of abuse – very strong allegations!
No. 11 (Adam) – why is it important that Senator Syvret has just one cause?
No 15 (Matt) – maybe if the States and the Police did their job, people like Senator Syvret wouldn’t need to interfere.
I’ll be watching hopefully – now is now the time to defend Jersey, but to stand up for the truth and justice. Let’s hope Jack Straw agrees.
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Jerseys politicians(especially Mr no-PR Walker) should have put the whole case over to a UK police force, then we eouldnt have someone’s best friend being accused of something but hiding it under the carpet – ie cover-up! I mean, how can over 130 complaints not get anywhere? .. answer – JERSEY!!
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I would like to see Senator Syvret as Chief Minister in a few years as he listens to the public and cares for the Island.
But I think its time to drop this case so the police can deal with the kids, maniac drivers and teenagers.
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Well the motion has been lost. Perhaps now Lenny Harper can go back to retirement and Stuart Syvret can get on with some more pressing States issues for a change.
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If Stuart could re-direct these energies into something constructive for a change he may regain some of his supporters. But this charade about child abuse has gone on for too long and has gone beyond a joke. Everybody is sick to the teeth about hearing about Harper and cover-ups. Its time to turn the record over.
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The piece in the Guardian was sensationalist rubbish. Because it’s in a paper doesn’t make it true. Let the police do their job. If the evidence is there, it will be acted on, if not, it can’t be. Syvret has not progressed the enquiry, he has hindered and harmed it. He should be ashamed.
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Well sensibility in the UK justice system has won the day and lets hope they get the message now.
This stupid crusade by Syvret and Harper has gone on for far too long and has cost us a fortune.
They are telling us that we cannot trust the Police and the Jersey judicial system. Well I stopped trusting them after last years press conference by Warcup and that goes for the majority of us I believe.
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Yet another complete waste of time and money by an egotistical politician. Why are we still paying this man?
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Interesting stuff.
This is a case of “hang the guy and lets listen to the defense afterwards”.
It is a constitutional right to taken as innocent until proven otherwise and this seems to be one key issue here.
It is all very easy for Stuart Syvret and Lenny Harper to pull Police reports from the past and give just a one sided view on them, but a defense has to give its story and they seem to be not allowing this, perhaps because they are too self indulged in their own popularity.
I think we can rule out murder at HdlG now. We cannot rule out abuse because testimony is overwhelming.
But I will agree with some of the comments on here in saying the Police should be left alone and allowed to do their job without this bickering and politic point story going on which does amount to interference, especially on the Net.
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I think fair play to Syvret for bringing the issue to light but like percentage of people i believe the police should be left alone now to deal with the abuse allegations and put those people responsible for it behind bars!
Only the people who were their can shed any light on the seriousness of what happened at HdlG and once the police have them in custody, thats when the truth shall be revealed.
I think syvret did a great thing by bringing this to our attention and he continues to bring things of this nature to our attnetion and so he should. We have a right to know what is being done in our island and by who!!
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