AT a time when good news is in short supply, the 2010 New Year Honours List was particularly welcome in Jersey.

The four awards announced for Islanders are the cause of widespread pleasure not only on account of their well-respected recipients but also because of what they indicate about the health of Jersey’s community spirit. The honours were earned for very different reasons but each recognises an individual who has made a selfless and significant contribution to society.

After 12 years as a member of the Royal Court bench, Lieutenant Bailiff Jurat Sally Le Brocq becomes an OBE as she approaches next month’s retirement date. Daughter of a former Bailiff and a member of this newspaper’s founding family, Jurat Le Brocq started the local Victim Support network on her return to the Island, before being elected to the judicial role which remains the pinnacle of its tradition of honorary service.

In these complicated times the ancient office of Jurat, a mainstay of our constitutional independence, is a very demanding one, requiring a deep commitment to the community. Wisdom in the administration of justice is a clear requisite, but it may be inferred that the social concern and graciousness which Jurat Le Brocq has also brought to the role have played their part in earning this recognition.

Under the guidance of Professor Ed Sallis, who also becomes an OBE, Highlands College has developed into a varied and vibrant academic community, achieving ever higher standards and now offering a full range of educational opportunities – including some all-important second chances – to Islanders at all stages of life. From stimulating evening classes undertaken for fun to full degrees and vital professional qualification, Highlands has steadily extended its range. Thanks to Prof Sallis, it has become a deeply impressive success story and one of the institutions which fully lives up to Jersey’s official claim to be a ‘life enriching’ place.

Another award recognises a man whose social commitment has been outward-looking. James Caulfield, who becomes an MBE, exemplifies Jersey’s excellent record in helping less fortunate communities overseas at both governmental and personal levels. His quiet and unassuming work for the Good News! project has renovated classrooms, built wells and provided equipment for disadvantaged people in an area of Kenya where he has also been honoured as the first white man to become a clan elder.

There will be much pleasure, too, at the appointment of Rozelle Sutherland as an MBE. Jersey’s Women’s Refuge is now viewed as a normal and necessary social safeguard but it was not always so and several generations of women have had cause to be grateful for the tireless work of Mrs Sutherland in bringing it about and continuing to help tackle the menace of domestic violence.

Congratulations to all four recipients on these well-earned honours and the special contributions they represent.