THE identities of non-States Members named during States debates will be removed from the official transcript in future.
The rules for debate prohibit members of the public and civil servants from being named in the States – they are meant to be referred to by their title, or the context in which they are mentioned. Members agreed a change to the Standing Orders of the House proposed by the Privileges and Procedures Committee by 30 to 18.
Committee chairman Constable Juliette Gallichan said that the move was in response to Senator Stuart Syvret naming people in the House who had no right of reply. Although using people’s names was against the rules, she said, they were still recorded in the official transcript which was published on the internet.
But several Members, including Senator Syvret and Deputies Geoff Southern and Mike Higgins, argued that the move was a restriction on both parliamentary privilege and their right to speak openly in the House. Senator Syvret said that he had not named anyone lightly, but had done so because of things that he had learned that other Members did not know.
Pictured: The States Chamber
