When should our politicians be suspended?

Monday 27th April 2009, 2:59PM BST.

From Hugh Gill.
I SEE from a headline in a Sunday newspaper that two peers are to be suspended from the House of Lords after being found guilty of misconduct.

I wonder if pleading guilty to deliberately breaking the law is sufficient reason for Members of the States of Jersey to be suspended from our parliament, or will Deputies Pitman and Southern continue to take their seats and receive their substantial rewards?
Three Corners,
Spring Grove,
St Lawrence.

1
Realist

April 27, 2009 at 8:20 pm

Jersey politicians should be suspended from the States on full pay when facing criminal charges, just like those in the civil service, whom have been thus suspended.Admittance of guilt or through the verdict of a court of law should be treated as forfeiture of their office,no less.Does not the law of Jersey equally apply to States members and its several suspended civil servants ? It seems not.

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2
sanity

April 28, 2009 at 10:21 am

Realist – you appear very quick to give away my money. Agree they should be suspended but do not agree they should be paid. As most States members have day jobs or big pensions to draw on I see no problems with docking their pocket money.

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3
Nathan Jordan

April 28, 2009 at 7:09 pm

Any other type of public sector employee suspected of criminal activity is suspended on full pay pending a fair trial surely? I see no reason why this shouldn’t be the case for States Members. In the case of conviction or frank confession of a crime, why not simply put it to the people and say that they must be re-elected to hold their seat? This would be a sound insurance policy to make sure that the law couldn’t be used facetiously to oust popular politicians…

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4
Frank Castle

April 28, 2009 at 7:11 pm

Yep, suspend them on full pay pending a criminal inquiry, everyone deserves a fair trial!

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5
Nathan Jordan

April 28, 2009 at 7:12 pm

Justice delayed is justice denied… if trials are provided speedily questions such as these would become a moot point.

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6
Realist

April 28, 2009 at 9:56 pm

Sanity – There has to be some middle ground, but I understand what you are saying.For the moment, I have drawn the analogy that several civil servants have been suspended on full pay, at the behest of the States, and yet certain States members of that assembly, whom are paid handsomely to represent us, are allowed to remain in their positions, despite admitting criminial charges.There is no parity.The States should apply the same to their own members in ruling on the suspension of civil servants,whom unlike certain States members, do not face criminial charges.

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7
Leah Holmes

April 29, 2009 at 10:14 pm

Have them pay it back when/if they are found guilty. If they won’t pay it then take it straight out of their pension.

Do the States have a straightforward and published code of conduct for Senators like the Houses of Parliament have?

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